Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

is absolutely fantastic!

(I'm not going to give spoilers but I'm still hinting at things that happen and I think Harry's fate will be obvious in reading, so if you're hardcore and don't want to know anything, just go make yourself a Harry Potter wand from my previous post now)

Not a single one of the spoilers I peaked at was correct. Which is good, because I was really worried about some of the stuff they were saying. A lot of people die (on both sides), but a surprising number DON'T die. The way reviewers were talking, I was pretty much expecting a bloodbath where Harry would be the last man standing. I was really surprised at the mercy J.K. Rowling showed toward her characters and readers. I fully expected her to kill off a lot more of my favorite lesser characters, but there was only one death that really got to me (this person has been one of my favorite characters from the start and had always had a certain air of invincibility, so I kind of bawled when he/she got offed). But that was right at the end and the whole shebang is finished off with a chapter called "Nineteen Years Later" and it's kind of this nice reminder that death and ugliness happen but then life goes on.

Great way to spend my Saturday!

Also, this post was maddening to write. I want to rejoice about how certain people didn't die! And be devastated over the deaths of _______ and ____ and ______! And maybe _____! And how surprised I am that _____ DIDN'T die! And how I feel about Snape and ____! Someone else read the book and talk about it with me!