len ❀'s Reviews > Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

❝This boy will be famous. There won't be a child in our world who doesn't know his name.❞

Everyone grew up with Harry Potter. They read all the books when they were young and watched all the films. They would re-watch and re-read them. They would fall in love with the Wizarding World and would completely adore Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They would talk about them non stop, about Hogwarts, about its teachings, about them wanting to become students there and pretending they are, about joining the HP fandom, about loving every character and instantly missing the world. Everyone would adore Harry Potter and knew about it since they were young ones.

Except me.

I didn't grow up with Harry Potter. Not because I didn't get to, but because I chose not to. I know, it's like living a life where everything has been a lie. Worse even. It's just, the movies would appear on my tv. From the first one, to the next and the next, and every time I saw the trailer for the upcoming one, I wouldn't be interested and would skip it when I came to it. I wouldn't bother and wouldn't care, and that made a big problem in my life now. Here I am now, being left out because of such poor choices and decisions I made when I was 7, 8, 9, and older until now. But now, as 2016 and having over 500 friends that are caught up and have read the recently published novel, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I have finally read the first book and am able to continue the series and watch the films. Now, here I am, wishing to go back to my past and change this nightmare and actually watch the films or read the books because I have literally missed on so much, missed too much, and have been missing too much. I have been out of this world and never realized how good it is, and how special it already has become.

There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it.

Harry Potter is one of the most famous, loved, and top series out there. It is loved, adored, cherished, and amazing for HP fans every time they read it. No matter how many times it is read, it fills the person's heart with warmth and happiness, as they are going back to the wizarding world. As for me, I have finally entered it and feel young and new and early to this, because I am new to this all.
Other than that, Harry Potter is considered a Children's book but in my opinion, it's in between middle grade and young adult because it can be hard to read for some. Although it was very very easy for me to read and understand, I see myself reading this all these years before and having a lot of trouble pronouncing some names.

Harry Potter, a story about a young wizard that didn't even know he was a wizard. Harry Potter, a 10 year-old boy, who turned 11, is living with his horrible, rude and awful "family", The Dursleys. Mrs. Dursley is known as Harry Potter's mother's sister. The problem is, they didn't like each other, nor blend in with each other. They were different. Her sister was a witch, while she was just a Muggle, a person who cannot seek the magic and find it, nothing and no one special because they aren't able to turn things into other things, aren't able to fly on a broom, cast a robe on fire, defeat a villain, confuse a troll, aren't able to do anything, really.

The reason for Harry living with this family and having to go trough all this trouble and mess is because he was actually given to them by Professor Albus Dumbledore, known as one of the greatest wizards and the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When Harry was a baby, his parents were killed by Everyone-Knows-Who but as he tried killing Harry, he really wasn't able to. His mother was killed because she was trying to stop him, but as he tried killing Harry, he couldn't bare to do it and left him a scar, the scar that has made Harry known and popular for surviving this evil person. Once saved and taken, the only people they can rely on are The Dursleys, and as Harry grows, they expect them to tell him he is a wizard and tell him everything and fix all the lies. Except they don't.

As days pass, Harry has been getting letters from someone he doesn't know. He doesn't know who it is and what they want, but he knows there is something going on, due to the amount of letters being sent. After getting the chance to open the first one, his Uncle Vernon decides to snatch it away from him, read it, and burn it. He knows, he knows who it is and what they want, but he doesn't want Harry to know. But even with him burning letter by letter and collecting them all, letters keep arriving and arriving, until the person finally shows up face-to-face with The Dursleys and Harry on his 11th birthday.

He's huge, introduced as a half-giant and half-human, known as Rubeus Hagrid. Hagrid is the one who tells Harry the truth, telling him he is a wizard, and a well-known one as well. He's got talent, and has some of the same abilities as his parents. One being a witch and the other being a wizard, Harry is known as a wizard as well. And as Hagrid tells him the truth, Harry does too. He doesn't know what he is talking about and doesn't know what is going on. He doesn't believe he is a wizard, and doesn't believe the reason for his parent's deaths. But of course, Hagrid decides to tell him the truth and tell him his parents did not die on a car crash, for that seemed impossible, but they were killed by Everyone-Knows-Who and is the reason for his scar.

When Harry leaves with Hagrid, they go and buy him what he needs, including clothes and supplies for the school. As they go to the shop, he is introduced as Harry himself but is instantly known by everyone else. Everyone is pleased to meet him and feel proud because they have shaken his hand. He's famous, his name is everywhere, and he can be considered a legend for what happened. But even with all this going on, Harry is still a little confused and figuring things out. As Harry and Hagrid get what they need, it's time for Harry to go to school, where he meets Ron Weasley, as to what I know, one of his best friends. Ron is small, red-haired, has freckles, pale, and has two twin brothers going to Hogwarts with him. He's not accepted into the other groups, and that is why he blends in with Harry and becomes his friend. Harry also meets Hermione Granger, known as someone annoying and as a nightmare to them both because of how bossy and unrealistic she can be. Of course, they are all so small and Hermione is a little nerd that enjoys every teaching at this school, so I was just like "we get it."

Days pass, and Harry is being trained. He's a neutral to broom-stick flying, is able to play Quidditch, the most popular game in Hogwarts, is given special supplies, and is of course, known by everyone. Other than that, Harry suspects his own secrets and wants to find out truths, but in order to do that, he must find a way to find them and figure them out. With the help of his two friends, he might just be able to figure out the real reason behind him being a wizard, more about his parents, history about himself, who this "You-Know-Who" person is, remember his past, and see how his life really will be changed, forever.

Humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.

Harry Potter was easy to read, understand, and there was no hesitation when it came to rating it 5 stars. Now, I hate myself once again and ask myself, again, "Why did I not read this earlier?" The answer is obvious, because I already know it and it's because I was never a fan of it. I hate speaking about my past, but this is one ugly past and I hate it. I hate the choice I made and I hate myself for allowing it. But soon I'll get over it and will be able to re-read this as many times as I will be able to during my last 3 years of being a teen. Yes, a 15 year-old that has not read Harry Potter simply because she chose not to when she was able to and when she was young. PATHETIC.

The fantasy is cute, I will say. It's easy to understand and the book is easy to fly through. It's not long, it's not hard, and it's not boring. It's gripping, fun, and everything is filled with some kind of magical element that has me turning page by page. Having no regrets anywhere, I am finally able to talk about HP and the world of wizards, where students learn how to make potions, talk to ghosts, learn about other creatures, transform things into other things, read minds, become invisible, fly in the air with a broomstick, play soccer in the air, have a feast and enjoy it all, learn magic, have a wand, and just be filled with happiness because of the friends and families considered in the houses. Well, I guess in most.

Everything was fun to read. I laughed at some parts and found the story to be more affective to me as Harry was figuring out his new and changed life. He was confused, but he found out a lot more. There's still more, but I know that as he grows, I will be able to follow along the late ass journey and see where he grows to and how. I'll see how strong he gets and find out some strengths and weakness'. I'll be able to join an invisible magic carpet and fly through the series because I just want to know what happens next and how everything goes. I want to see Harry become a better person and be able to prove Draco and his stupid friends wrong about what they think. I want his friendship with Ron to grow and become stronger. I want Hermione to stop being so talkative and take a little break of being so bossy. But more importantly, I want to have a fun journey reading this and feeling like I'm on an adventure. Reading it for the first time feels like one. I've never watched the films. I've watched parts, but skipped them. Now, I won't skip anything. It's like an adventure where I'm dived in and can't seem to leave because I'm so alive and intrigued.

What can I say about Harry Potter that others have not said? Nothing. Reviews are always similar, and this one might be too. Everyone loves it, and so did I. Yes, I rolled my eyes at times because there were moments where I was annoyed. But nothing was boring, and even when I rolled my eyes, there was a reason for that eye rolling scene. Maybe it was Hermione being annoying, or Draco being a rude boy, mocking an adorable red-haired. Or both. But I was also laughing. I would always laugh when it came to Hagrid. Since the beginning, I instantly loved him and considered him hilarious. I love how he turned Dunley into a pig but failed because he was already too much of a pig. I remember laughing and noticing my parents looked at me weirdly, but that's okay because I needed a novel where I was happy and ended up laughing at times. Oh and also, Hagrid is honestly so nice and adorable guys, I love him. He's so funny and protective and is such a good friend to Harry. I loved everything he did for him and was glad he was the first one to introduce himself to Harry. He cared for him since he was a baby and saw him as 11, bring him a present and giving him another one at the end.

Ron is honestly the cutest. I don't understand how anyone could be mean to him. He may be weak, but he has his own strengths. He's so adorable and small and I hated how Draco treated him. There were some times unnecessary and I hated Draco for it, but I'll probably end up loving Draco some time throughout the series and probably regret it because I know he's still gonna be really mean throughout the series. I'm sure. I haven't spoiled myself, so I have no idea how his or anyone else's life goes, but I do know that he changes in some way. Hermione is a small and cute nerd as well, but sometimes I hated how sassy she was and bossy. She hated losing points for her house and because she, Ron, and Harry were in the same house, they had to work together and find a way to become friends to find out other truths and earn points for Gryffindor. She took everything very serious and showed off at times because of her perfect test grades and assignments, but I was glad she was able to put up with Ron and Harry while they put up with her.

The friendship between Harry, Ron and Hermione was probably one of my favorites. I know it didn't work out at first and they honestly hated her, but I was so happy it literally had to work toward the middle. Thanks to the troll, she became their friend and actually was able to cooperate with them. She didn't yell at them for fighting the troll, but instead told them to be careful and send word if anything goes wrong when Harry went for the mirror again. As it was ending, she was saying goodbye to Harry and Ron and was even awkward because she couldn't really figure out what to say. But also, my heart was really happy when she hugged Harry because it felt real and it felt like something I had been waiting since the beginning. It was friendship goals as they were becoming friends, and it just made me happy seeing them all together, same house, same team, same classes.

The writing of course is, like I said, easy to understand. There were no words that were confusing in any way or words that got me mixed up because of how similar they sounded, and there were no problems. I didn't know what was gonna happen next and I know books are always better than movies, but I will watch the films after or after finishing one book just to see the differences. I hear they are kind of the same, just that the book provides some more information and detail. Like always, it's no surprise.

There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

Overall, I am so proud of myself for getting the first book over with, now wanting the 2nd and the 3rd and the rest. Really excited to see where this all goes to, and how Harry becomes a better wizard.