28/100: Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

book, girl, and harry potter image
via weheartit
Harry Potter is back for another year of Hogwarts, and this one might be the most exciting yet. The Triwizard Tournament is coming to his school, and with it, comes students from two other magical academies. When his name is put into the Goblet of Fire, declaring him a Hogwarts Champion, alongside three other students, he quickly realizes someone has it out for him... again.

I looked forward to diving into Goblet of Fire because the movie was such a fun ride; mazes and mermaids and dragons, oh my! I was curious to see how Rowling would tell the adventurous story of Harry competing in the Tournament.
Man, this book was a CHUNK! And it's not even the longest one :) I think this was the first book where I read significant portions that were not included in the movie. I mean, I can't blame the movie writers; like I said, the book is enormous, something had to be cut.




Despite the excitement of the plot in this installment, I felt like the story really dragged in places. On the one hand, I appreciated getting a wider peek into the wizarding world, outside of Harry and Hogwarts. We got familiar with other wizarding families, traditions, and past events. On the other hand, however, sometimes I found myself reading passages and wondering, did this really need to be included?

This was also the first book where I really began to dislike Harry. Ron, Hermione, and Harry get so caught up in their own lives that they aren't paying attention to the other friends around them. Like, c'mon guys, it never occurred to you to ask Neville why he lives with his Grandmother? I think I just got weary of hearing the boys discussing Neville as if he were a complete idiot, instead of attempting to help him or make friends with him. He comes off as an annoyance to them, rather than an ally. Honestly, I could really start to see where Snape was coming from.

Another great installment; definitely not my favorite, but not bad. I gave it four stars so that's gotta mean something :) Let's see how long it takes me to read the next one, because that is the longest one in the series.

Stats:
Completed: Apr 10
Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 734

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

36/100: Read It And Weep

Image
Read It And Weep is the fifth installment in the Library Lover's Series by Jenn McKinlay. They are cozy mysteries set in a small town on the east coast. I love reading these kinds of books because they are the ones I don't have to pay too much attention to. The plot is simple and engaging, very much a whodunnit type of setting, and they are just fast-paced enough to keep my attention but not so fast that my heart pounds in my chest :) I tend to use these books as palate cleansers when I find myself in a bit of a book slump or have just finished reading a more intense story. I can get done with them fairly quickly and move on to the next title in my TBR pile... something that is ever-growing. I will say that I did not enjoy this one as much as its predecessors. The author inserted a love triangle into the mix, a trope that I will never feel drawn to. Plus, I found myself irritated through the majority of the book because the main characters refused to communicate. I kept thi...
Read more

2/100: Let Me Be a Woman

Image
Two books in one week!!! My second finished book of the year is Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot. This was gifted to me by a friend for my birthday, and I'm sad to admit that it took me six months to finish it. It's very small and compact, less than 200 pages. But don't let the size fool you: this book packs a whole lot of theological truth into a pocket-size. Elliot really simmered things down to the basics for me in terms of what it means to be a Christian woman. I can't really say much in terms of review because I found this book to be so extensive. She writes in the form of letters to her daughter Valerie, and while most of the book is told through the lens of marriage, any woman regardless of relationship status, can find answers and clarification as to what our roles are as women of God. I plan to read this one again at some point so I can go through and underline my favorite parts and also be able to digest the content more. Stats: Completed: January ...
Read more

31/100: The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

Image
There's nothing quite like finishing a good book on a warm (not quite summer) day. The sun is slowly setting, the birds are happily chirping, and the breeze is cooling the weather down. I can't think of a better story to wrap up than The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. There will be some exciting changes happening in my life this week; exciting but slightly scary! This continues my comfort read-a-thon and it was just what I needed. I loved this continuing storyline of the four Penderwick sisters. Even though the original Penderwick novel will always be near and dear to my heart, the follow-up was just as sweet and endearing. Each sister got their time to shine and the storyline involving their father was well fleshed-out and relatable. I think Birdsall was really able to expand on each sister's personality in this story, and we get glimpses of where she might take them next. I can't really say much more, except please read this sweet story! Stats: Completed: Apr...
Read more