Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

When it comes to the movies, the fourth installment of the Harry Potter series, has always been my favorite. Likely this is mostly nostalgia as I used to listen to it going to sleep on the nights Jim was at work, but I think it's also because of the turning point in the series. While the movie is excellent, the book far exceeds it!

Thus far this book is my favorite in the Harry Potter series. The story is so woven to keep you on your toes and wondering what is going to happen. If I did not know the outcome of the book I would NOT have suspected it at all. Rowling does an excellent job of weaving character stories, descriptions, character's feelings and thoughts so that you are never quite sure what it going to happen next. This is the epitome of story-telling.

For those who have not read this book, it follows the Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts where he is mysteriously entered into the Triwizard Tournament in spite his being underage and a Hogwart's champion being selected.

It begins with the Quidditch World Cup where dark wizards torment muggles and begat fear among all who are in the wizarding world. When the Tournament comes up even more questions arise about why the dark forces seems to be so strong yet again. Harry has dreams that are vivid and full of questions. The world of house elves is even more deeply exposed causing more tension with the main characters as well as exposing more of the story at hand.

As Harry works through his school year while preparing for the grueling events of the tournament we see friendships tested, lessons learned, deep emotions and questions arise for this young man. While no one in our world will experience exactly what Harry is going through, you can relate to what he is thinking and feeling as well as see different angles. While it's not the genre specifically, it is an excellent coming of age book and as an adult I can appreciate the struggle while also saying, "Why did you do that?" now that I have lived through the teenage years.

While this book is an excellent read, it is very dark and needs parental guidance before a young person reads it. There are also blatant rule breaking and getting away with it. This installment also has a bit of language as well.

Even with the parental warnings I still give this book five stars for the excellent writing and story line. If you love a good fantasy book, I highly recommend it.

Reading Challenges:
This book is being used for a book of at least 300 pages in the Tim Challies 2020 Reading Challenge.