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DiscountDelight - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)
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List Price: $29.99
Our Price: $11.25
Your Save: $ 18.74 ( 62% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Scholastic, Inc.
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9780439784542
ISBN: 0439784549
Label: Scholastic, Inc.
Manufacturer: Scholastic, Inc.
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 652
Publication Date: 2005-07-16
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Release Date: 2005-07-16
Studio: Scholastic, Inc.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: A delightful story that will live you hanging for more.
Comment: This a outstanding book. This book [...] you in and doesn't let you leave until you're finish. I found myself crying when I finished, and rereading the last 2 - 3 chapters just to make sure the ending wasn't a figment of my imagination. Though they do occasionally have fun and do things that normal teenagers do, this story marks the end of the carefree days of Hogwarts, and introduces you to the hardships of war that are yet to come.
Spoilers
In this book, Harry makes the assumption that Draco has been initiated into the Death Eater society. This part of the plot starts off in Diagon Alley, when as usual Harry, Hermione and the Weasley clan are shopping for school supplies.
Harry and Ron have made it into Potions N.E.W.T.s, which surprises everyone including Harry and Ron themselves. They are lended potions books from the classroom. And Harry recieves a ratty old Potions book that contains brilliant shortcuts to several potions, and many spells that apparently the previous owner of the textbook, the mysterious Half-Blood Prince, had created. These spells range from silly charms that lift you up, to charms that can kill.
At Headmaster Dumbledore's request, Harry has started lessons with him. These lessons dive into Voldemort's part, when he was still Tom Marvolo Riddle. Also, the truth about Voldemort's heritage and family is uncovered. Voldemort's quest for immortality is showcased through these lessons, and the way to weaken him is too.
Harry has finally gotten over his crush on Cho. The girl that has caught his eye, is none other than Ginerva Weasley, Ron's younger sister. Though he does not first realize his love for Ginny, he later becomes jealous of Ginny's relantionship with Dean Thomas.
Harry is not the only one who is mislead by the wavering path of teenage love. Ron is very jealous, when Ginny has mentioned that Hermione has snogged Viktor Krum. Rather than wallow in his jealously, Ron has gotten with Lavender Brown and started to ignore Hermione, who is utterly bewildered at this sudden change of attitude. Lavender and Ron are mentioned snogging all the time, while Hermione also becomes jealous.
This story is a captivating experience that will introduces you to the war that will affect all of magical kind, and many muggles too. It is a delightful mix of love and jealously that we have experienced or have yet to experience, mystery, and a wonderfully written account of the impending doom that will come. This is a must read and by far one of the best, if not the best story in the Harry Potter series.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter Book 6 Review
Comment: J.K. Rowling took all, who read the sixth Harry Potter book, one huge step towards the ending of the astounding series of the Harry Potter books. This caused her readers to want more of the spine tingling details that will lead us to the breath taking ending of Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling has the most appreciated knack for making the characters act as normal as any other person, and is still able to make the story exciting enough to have us at the edge of our seats. The book had so many unexpected twists that nobody would have thought to happen, and leaves us wanting more.
Harry has some struggle staying away from trouble, especially after finding the half blood prince's "Advanced Potion Making" book. He is constantly being nagged at by Hermione, who believes the "Half-Blood Prince's" advice is going to get Harry in trouble, to return it to Professor Slughorn. Where on the other hand, Ron believes the advice will get him better outcomes than those of Hermione, and tells Harry to keep it. Harry decides to ignore what his friends are telling him about the "Half-Blood Prince" and begins to wonder who it might be. He decides to spend all of his free periods trying to figure out who the "Half-Blood Prince" is.
Some of the strengths of the book would be the author's ability to have normal characters and an exciting story. She also had appropriate scene changes that helped us get through the story swiftly and easily. The story had a lot of details that kept us interested and wouldn't let us put the book down until we finished it. The book also had a couple of weakness that did bring my rating down just a bit. An example would be that the love connections between the characters was a bit confusing and made the book a little hard to follow and understand. Other than that, the book was amazing.
Dumbledore has constantly been reported absent and Harry seems to be in desperate need of Dumbledore's assistance when he is absent. Harry begins to wonder where and what it is that Dumbledore is doing, and why he's doing it so often. Harry finds that Voldemort is going to be having him a lot busier than ever. He is constantly stressed with his Apparition lessons, which have caused some defects in people's appearances. Dumbledore requested that Harry researched Voldemorts past to try and figure out what might be a couple of his weaknesses. Only the next book can complete Harry's journey through Hogwarts and give us the answer to the most asked question when speaking about the book, who will win in the battle between Harry and Voldemort.
Customer Rating:
Summary: REALLY GOOD!
Comment: It was a really good HP book! I liked it! I recommend this for any HP fan!!!!!!!!!!!
* WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW! *
In this book, you get to see these things:
+ Dumbledore visiting the Dursleys.
+ Draco Malfoy stamping Harry Potter in the face.
+ Apparation tests.
+ The results of the O.W.L.s exams.
+ Ron Weasley falling in love with Lavender Brown.
+ Harry falling in love with Ginny Weasley.
+ Professor Snape being the Defense-Against-the-Dark-Arts teacher.
+ Harry's lessons with Dumbledore.
+ Aragog the spider's death.
+ Sirius Black's death.
+ Dumbledore's death.
+ Harry kissing Ginny.
+ Harry becoming Quidditch Captain.
+ Harry cheating at potions.
And much more!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Major Evolution in the Harry Potter Saga
Comment: Rowling cranks it up a notch in this latest episode of the Harry Potter series. Harry has a lot of growing up to do--and he's got to do it fast. Suddenly, Professor Dumbledore is relating to him almost as an equal, and invites Harry's help in thwarting Lord Voldemort's plans. All the usual cast of characters are here, with new potentials and connections. Harry finds out that he's fallen in love--or always had been in love and didn't know it. There is a stunning conclusion which includes the unmasking of a villain and the death of a major character, but I'll leave it to others or the book itself to tell more. If you've been enjoying this series and haven't read this one yet, what are you waiting for?
Customer Rating: 
Summary: OK
Comment: Not nearly as good as the others, only decent if you're a hardcore fan. Not the best, but not the worst.
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Editorial Reviews:
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The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page. A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way. --Daphne Durham Waiting for Book 7?
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Begin at the Beginning
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Hardcover
Paperback | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Hardcover
Paperback | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Hardcover
Paperback | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Hardcover
Paperback | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Hardcover
Paperback |
Why We Love Harry
Favorite Moments from the Series
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favorite moments, characters, and artifacts from the first five books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
| | * Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him.
* When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists.
* Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards.
* Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat. | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
| | * The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius.
* Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother.
* The Dueling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Dueling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms. | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
| | * Ron's attempt to use a telephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'.
* Harry's first encounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any other encounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors is terrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behavior in Professor Trelawney's Divination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occur when she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are, after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children.
* The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape. | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
| | * Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them.
* Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it.
* Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge.
* Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses. | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
| * Harry's outburst to his friends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration over being kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much of Harry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron and Hermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being too old to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part of the fight that he knows is coming.
* Harry's detention with Professor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers to believe that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for young wizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of real evil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of wills alone.
* Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowling clearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager.
* Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape.
* Dumbledore's confession to Harry. | Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling
 "I am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world. I’m sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers." --J.K. Rowling Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling.
Did You Know?  | The Little White Horse was J.K. Rowling's favorite book as a child. |  | Jane Austen is Rowling's favorite author. |  | Roddy Doyle is Rowling's favorite living writer. | A Few Words from Mary GrandPré
 "When I illustrate a cover or a book, I draw upon what the author tells me; that's how I see my responsibility as an illustrator. J.K. Rowling is very descriptive in her writing--she gives an illustrator a lot to work with. Each story is packed full of rich visual descriptions of the atmosphere, the mood, the setting, and all the different creatures and people. She makes it easy for me. The images just develop as I sketch and retrace until it feels right and matches her vision." Check out more Harry Potter art from illustrator Mary GrandPré.
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