Book 3 in the Potter saga finds 13-year-old Harry plunged into greater danger than ever before. A mass murderer has escaped from the Alcatraz of the wizarding world and everyone is convinced he's on his way to Hogwarts to kill Harry.
My thoughts
This is my favorite and arguably the strongest of the Harry Potter series. The first two were fun to read, but this is the one that hooked me. It's nearly perfect—the friendships are well drawn, the humor is biting, and the action is perfectly paced. There are so many great little details and they all build to one of the best resolutions to any book I've ever read. Even though I've lost count of the number of times I've read it, I still have to block off a couple hours so I can read straight through the last hundred pages.
Azkaban introduces two of Rowling's most brilliant additions to Harry's world—the dementors and the Marauder's Map. The dementors are ingenious because of their stark simplicity. Rowling took the crushing despair of depression and made it literal, tangible, relatable—and terrifying. As for the Marauder's Map, I would like something similar to point out speed traps on the highway. (Who wouldn't?) But that's only half the reason I love it. Azkaban is full of reveals concerning Harry's parents and their friends from Hogwarts, and tying the Marauder's Map into that backstory was a truly nice touch. (Side note: The way Rowling manages to seamlessly blend her creations with existing mythological creatures and concepts is nothing short of magical. It's a real talent. Other authors take you out of the action while they beat you over the head with all the research they've done. Rowling has enough faith in her readers to trust them to keep up with her storytelling.)
Bottom line
I dare you to read this book and not fall completely in love with the Harry Potter series. If you can ... I'm not sure what that says about you, but it's not good.
Fine print
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling
Genre: YA fiction
Photo from Amazon UK
I bought this book (three times—I lent the first copy to a friend and the dog used the second one as a chew toy)
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