Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3) by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts is full of new dangers. A convicted murderer, Sirius Black, has broken out of Azkaban prison, and it seems he's after Harry. Now Hogwarts is being patrolled by the dementors, the Azkaban guards who are hunting Sirius. But Harry can't imagine that Sirius or, for that matter, the evil Lord Voldemort could be more frightening than the dementors themselves, who have the terrible power to fill anyone they come across with aching loneliness and despair. Meanwhile, life continues as usual at Hogwarts. A top-of-the-line broom takes Harry's success at Quidditch, the sport of the Wizarding world, to new heights. A cute fourth-year student catches his eye. And he becomes close with the new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher, who was a childhood friend of his father. Yet despite the relative safety of life at Hogwarts and the best efforts of the dementors, the threat of Sirius Black grows ever closer. But if Harry has learned anything from his education in wizardry, it is that things are often not what they seem. Tragic revelations, heartwarming surprises, and high-stakes magical adventures await the boy wizard in this funny and poignant third installment of the beloved series.
Mass Market Paperback, 435 pages
Published May 1st 2004 by Scholastic Inc.
Current Goodreads Rating: 4.54 Stars
I've heard this is a lot of people's favorite Harry Potter in the series. This is my first time reading this series and I will say at the least it is the best one yet. It has a maturity to it that the others don't. I got to know Harry more in this book than I have it the previous two combined and I had so many questions answered. He became more relatable and the character development is at an all time high. I officially carry a deep concern for this character's well-being because he's shown a piece of his heart in this book. I was reminded that people can only be pushed so far and everyone just wants to feel loved and accepted. This book held a lot of new characters and a lot of false doors trying to make you second guess the direction. It introduced a lot of fun, creative elements and I was on the edge of my seat feeling more engaged. I was eager to learn and take in all the hints thinking I could guess where this one would lead me. Now that I'm more prepared as to what to expect from Hogwarts, I was hyper aware with each new characters introduction and already second guessing their motives, knowing there must be yet another epic fight to end this book. I was ready to jump in to help solve these mysteries with them. Also, third book in and Hagrid is still my favorite character. Dumbledore to me is a genius and I respect him on a pedestal, but I relate and love seeing such a huge heart in such a clumsy character. I enjoyed see him wear his heart on his sleeve yet again being overjoyed with new responsibility and devastated with bad fate. The little details in the book made me smile over and over again and it got to the point I laughed out loud at the end. Clever details and punchlines throughout. I'm mad at myself for ever thinking just watching the movie would be enough. I was constantly highlighting little instances that I either missed because I didn't know to look for them or were not included in the movie and they were all outstanding. The first two in this series can be a little slow and sparse, but it's worth it if what I heard is true. The best is yet to come and this one already got five stars in my book. Witty, humorous, and engaging. Well written.
