I had a reading disability early in childhood. I don’t remember what the exact issue was, but I do remember having to leave class for extra lessons. Usually during something I was enjoying like a Berenstain Bears VHS and let me tell you, Berenstain Bears was the highlight of my school week back then.

Then in second grade I was given a book for a reading project- Goosebumps #11 The Haunted Mask. I loved it and read it cover to cover. I think it was the first chapter book I ever finished. I was hooked and after dozens of Goosebump books and a year or two later I was able to test out of the extra reading lessons. Goosebumps had saved my reading ability. I eventually read every one and nearly collected all 130 something original run books.

I loved Goosebumps and maybe a couple of my friends did, but most didn’t care. And anytime it got an adaptation it was terrible. So when Harry Potter entered my periphery with the unrelenting media blitz outpouring from the first movie, I was angry, even jealous. My beloved Goosebumps barely got any attention, but this series was getting massive amounts of hype.

In college, my girlfriend, who was a couple years younger than me, was a huge Harry Potter fan. She was the same age as Harry when the first book was released and followed the series as she and Harry both grew up. I knew then that was pretty cool. It’s special to be the right age at the right time during the dawning zenith of a franchise like Harry Potter.

We went to school at UCF in Orlando Florida - the Theme Park Capital of the World. I had a couple friends who were staff at the parks which meant free tickets and some great memories as childless adults drinking and eating at Epcot during their worldwide food and wine celebration. Universal Studios had just opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the dedicated theme district, and they knocked it out of the park. Puns! I was blown away. It literally felt like I was transported to a different world and one I wanted to know more of. That visit to the parks was the impetus for me checking out Harry Potter. I then watched the movies and even caught the last one in theaters.

Years go by and I finally get around to the books. Slowly at first. A book here, another book a couple years later. Well, now I’m finally finished with the last one. And here’s what I think:

They’re good. Really good. The characters are memorable, the pacing great. The world building is incredible. I know I said Dune had some of the best world building, Harry Potter might be one of the few to top it. Even with all the holes and suspension of disbelief. I mean, do the muggles really never notice a flying car? Or the many many children that spontaneously conjure magic before they come of age? Not even rumors? Really?

Rawling has an ability to display an emotional intelligence I find rare in fantasy fiction. Often it’s an insight into the things unsaid. Misinterpreting flattery for incompetence for example. In a scene in which Harry’s wizard friends have to convince the Dursley’s (Harry’s abusive adoptive family) to leave their home on Privet drive, a wizard tries for Vernon Dursley’s oversized ego by flattering Vernon on his ability to understand all the confusing knobs and buttons of an automobile. While Vernon, being of the muggle (or non magical) world, prides himself on being “normal” and cars are very normal to them. He thinks it’s lame for someone to be unable to drive and loses confidence in the plan as an unintended result.

Once the decision was made to kill off Mad Eye Moody, the top Auror, or wizard police, the collision course with Harry and the villain Voldemort seemed inevitable. Much of the first half of the book felt pre-ordained with 6 previous books of preamble. Of course the main cast drops out of school. Of course Snape, who murdered the last headmaster, is now the current head master. It felt like much of this final book had no other way to go. Rawling just had to not flub the landing. In fact, it seemed the only question she had to answer was the location of the remaining magical items needed to kill the villain. A question the characters spend a lot of time wrestling with.

The pacing for the seventh book is all over the place. Rawling has spent 1000s of pages over six other books setting up the finale, having planned some things and having to retcon others. And hoo boy, the retconning. The middle third of the book consists of our main cast wandering the woods looking for these magical items, and you can almost hear Rawling spin her wheels through the pages as she also doesn’t seem to know where they are. The characters will even comment on it when they complain that Dumbledore never told them any other clues. Rather than set this up in previous books, Rawling has to resort to 3 new clues out of Dumbledore’s will to guide the cast. These items aren’t quite MacGuffins as they are each meaningful in character backstory or plot items from previous books so kudos to Rawling for that.

Even with the pacing issues, when this book hits, it really hits. At times I was glued to the page. Really, it’s an amazing series and if you haven’t read Harry Potter yet and you enjoy fantasy then you owe it to yourself to not miss out on one of the biggest cultural phenomena of our generation. And you know what, while Goosebumps will always have a special place in my heart, I think Harry Potter is better.