Harry Potter

I just finished reading the 6th book. I'm really glad I waited this long to start reading them, and I almost wish I'd waited another year. It was nice to be able to just keep going. Now, I wait in anxious suspense with the rest of the world for book seven.

As I got through books five and six, I started wondering if this is truly a children's book series. The nature of the plot matures and deepens as the characters (and perhaps the readers?) age. The first few books ring of childhood innocence and curiosity. The last two, in particular, anything but. The characters come face to face with death and deception on a level that most children do not (and certainly should not!) comprehend. Yet, while the series pushes the envelope of children's fiction, I can't help but wonder if the story would half as fascinating if each book didn't exceed the expectations set by the one before.

The story is amazing in so many other ways, too. It seems ridiculous to repeat the sentiments of nearly every critic and every "ordinary reader," but what else can one say? J.K. Rowling is no less than a genius, and Harry Potter, no less than a timeless masterpiece.