Review 1:
"Rowling has woven together clues, hints and characters from previous books into a prodigiously rewarding, suspenseful conclusion in which all the important questions, including the true nature of Severus Snape, the fates of Crabbe and Goyle, and the presence of the dark wizard Grindelwald on a Chocolate Frog card in book one, are punctiliously resolved."
07/28/2007
Review 2:
"Rowling fulfills the promise of earlier volumes, tying up loose threads, deepening character complexities to match Harry's evolving recognition of life's shades of gray, pulling out every emotional stop, and leading her hero into adulthood while still producing the most focused plot line and layered, heart-in-throat climax of the series."
09/01/2007
Review 3:
"As with the previous books, infelicitous stylistic choices and overlong expository passages are forgiven in favor of meticulous plotting and flawless characterization; one need only picture McGonagall leading an army of animated school desks into battle to know that Rowling understands her characters deeply and perfectly."
10/01/2007
Review 4:
"Harry and Rowling rally their troops so successfully, it's almost painful to be stuck on the sidelines. As always, Rowling's greatest strength is the ability to whisk readers away to a fully imagined world...For one last time, fans will be longing to grab a wand, hop on their broom, and join the fray."
07/23/2007
Review 5:
"It is Ms. Rowling's achievement in this series that she manages to make Harry both a familiar adolescent--coping with the banal frustrations of school and dating--and an epic hero, kin to everyone from the young King Arthur to Spider-Man and Luke Skywalker."
07/19/2007
Review 6:
"At times...the story resembles the worst camping-out experience you have ever had; at others, it recalls a dungeons-and-dragons-type electronic game."
09/27/2007