The saga has been a long and emotional one, and I feel that I should first pen down my thoughts on it all before they become diminished by those of others. Perhaps to do so would be to give personal justice to one of the few book series that my childhood has been so coloured by.
First, I admit to not expecting very much from this book. HBP marked a paradigm shift of the series for me: characters were changed and brought together in a ways I still feel are crude, unfair, and unrealistic; the plot faltered and was never really evident in any form except in the violation of the eternal command to 'show, not tell'. What began as a children's book on good versus evil, courage in spite of daunting odds, trust in others, and love above all turned into characteristically tween writing of jealousy, envy, and 'love' like a snake unfurling. The future looked bleak then, and the leaks I read and responded to with hilarity left little good to expect.
Thankfully, and most surprisingly, my worst fears were not realised. Instead of being plagued by linear plot development and hollow characters, Deathly Hallows is so far removed from its predecessor that I feel it represents a return to form for Rowling and the world she has created. The book has gone far beyond what I felt would just be simple-minded tying of loose ends, and is a worthy adventure on its own.
Perhaps, I have given Rowling too little credit after becoming disgruntled. So many things I felt would most naturally follow after HBP did not, and the actual result seems truer now that I have read it. The motley crew of extras behind Harry in the set have all blossomed to become heroes in their own right, just in time for me to see that Rowling's world is far more complicated than everything simply revolving around Harry.
Of course, certain questions remain. Loose ends dangle as flirtatiously as they did before, and one can't help but wonder whether this is the end of the series. Perhaps. But even so, I will no doubt join the rest of the mob in savouring this universe over and over again.
