Book Review & Discussion: Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone

THIS BOOK! ⚡ This book has literally triggered a cultural revolution. It has impacted so many lives and influenced so many minds. It’s crazy to even think about how much one boy living in one magical world created by one author could change so many lives.

I first read this book in fifth grade, but I skimmed through it without really appreciating everything for what it was. Last month, I started listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks on Overdrive through my public library’s online catalog. 🎧 Let me just say…If you haven’t listened to the Harry Potter audiobooks…YOU NEED TO!! It’s like a movie but 8 hours instead of 2!! It’s incredibly convenient to listen to throughout my day (eg. walking between classes, eating lunch, sitting on a toilet)

Spoiler-Free Summary: I mean you should know already, but basically, Harry Potter is an orphan who discovers that he’s a wizard on his 11th birthday. Follow him on his journey to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! DUN DUN DUN.

This book deserves all the stars. It’s a 5/5 from me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The writing is extremely simple and direct, but it’s super easy to read and follow. The world created is so firetrucking magical. ✨ There’s nothing like it. I mean, there’s a reason why this book fostered a million dollar franchise. I absolutely love this book, and the audiobook will make you love it more (#SponsorMeAudible). 10/10 recommend! 💯

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

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I honestly don’t even know where to even start because there’s so much going on. These kids are 11, and they’re holding on to so much responsibility. When you’re reading this in elementary school or middle school, you really fall in love with these characters because they embody qualities we admire–courage, intelligence, loyalty, determination. 🌟💖That being said, it’s pretty sad how the Slytherin house is immediately painted as “the enemy.” 🐍 Everyone evil is from Slytherin. Draco Malfoy is this pretentious and spoiled daddy’s boy. Meanwhile, Professor Snape is a brooding douchebag who continuously picks on Harry. This is a theme that persists throughout the future books. Of course, JK Rowling does defend the house for its ambition and determination which I really appreciate; however, it doesn’t change the fact that when you’re younger, you would maintain the mindset that Slytherin isn’t as “cool” or “heroic”. Although I personally don’t know my Hogwarts House, I do see a bit of Slytherin and Hufflepuff in me, so that fact makes me somewhat sad to think about. Another thing that bugged me was the arbitrary points system. The professors would just reward and take away points so randomly. In the end, I was like “F*ck it. We all know Dumbledore will do some abracadabra point reallocations so that Gryffindor wins in the end.”

The Characters

Listening to the audiobook and revisiting this story felt like a reunion with old friends. 💕 

I grew up viewing Hermonie as a role model, and I can definitely draw parallels between the 11-year-old witch and my younger self. Of course, I was never as cool or smart, but the insecurities any girl has as a preteen are universal. We’re worried about friends and how we appear to others in school. 📚 We want to succeed but that sometimes comes off as showing off. Whenever I see news of Emma Watson today or the latest Harry Potter movies, I always forget that Hermonie was once like me. Before she becomes the brightest witch of her generation, she is a teenager who’s still trying to figure everything out.

Harry is a boy who has gone through so much. My life is extremely smooth sailing compared to his, but the major lesson he has taught me is resilience. Life is unpredictable. One minute you’re an orphan boy living under a staircase…the next you’re a famous celebrity.

Ronald Weasley. I’m so excited to see him grow throughout the rest of the series. Even in the first book, you can tell he has a good heart and is maturing along. Yes, he does treat Hermonie very rudely, and that is inexcusable. However, seeing the trio grow as friends really warms my heart. I think the greatest showmanship of his character is during the chess game when sacrifices himself. In the movie, Ron is sitting on a horse which gets destroyed, but in the books, Ron actually subsitutes the chess piece. He literally gets b*tch slapped by the Queen chess piece!!

The Plot

I always forget that the plotline in the books is so much more extensive and intricate than the plotline of the movies. Tons of things are explored more such as Hagrid and his pet dragon.

One of my favorite scenes is when Harry celebrates Christmas for the first time with friends AKA the Weasley’s. 🎄This is the first time he receives actually Christmas presents. Ron’s mom makes him a sweater, and Fred and George include him in the family sweater photo. It’s just so cute! 🎁The entire plot of this series, even this book, is completely out of this world. It blows my mind that anyone could imagine anything like this. Yet, it exists! The book is in our hands, and we’re learning about the life of an 11-year-old orphan who overcomes adversity.

The Writing

Like I said in the intro of this blog post, the writing is very simple and direct. ✏️Personally, I like it because it’s so much easier to visualize each scene. If you’re older, you may find it very childish or juvenile, but since this book caters to a younger demographic, I really don’t think that’s a fair area to criticize the book.

This book is definitely very information loaded. However, JK Rowling strikes a good balance of educating the reader on the fictional wizarding world and experiencing the story seamlessly.

The Audiobook Experience (Bonus)

The Harry Potter audiobook is one of the best audiobooks/inventions of all time. 🎧 The narration is so fluid and easy to listen follow. Personally, I never saw myself as someone who would enjoy audiobooks, but this one has changed my mind.

It was so easy for me to just put on headphones and listen to 5-10 minutes of the story as I walked to class. Usually, during lunch, I scroll through my Instagram feed and eat my meal. 📱With an audiobook, I can do the same thing! You know how the Youtube app is incredibly annoying because you can’t close the app and multitask on your phone? That’s not a problem with an audiobook. You can do both at the same time!!😱 #SponsorMeAudible

In Conclusion

This series has left such a mark on our generation and in popular culture. I truly encourage anyone who is remotely interested to give it a try!

Want to Buy This Book?

If you purchase the paperback or hardback version from Book Depository, I make a small commission which helps keeps my blog running. 🛍️ They have free shipping worldwide, so talk about a win-win solution!

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HAVE YOU READ The Sorcerer’s Stone? WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS! 💕