Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K Rowling

Genre - Fantasy. Children's/young adult. 

Published by - Bloomsbury 

Purchased at - Asda

Themes - Magic. Family. Friendship. School. Death. Good/evil. Right/wrong. Rules and rebellion. Secrets. Bullies.

Plot - Harry lives with his cruel aunt, uncle and cousin, where his bedroom is the under stairs cupboard. On his 11th birthday he receives an invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, because, as he discovers, he is no ordinary boy. We follow Harry on his journey of magical adventures as he learns about himself, his family history and the secrets surrounding Hogwarts. 

My reflections - I read this with my 7 year old, who gives it 9/10. I think a lot of it went over his head, but what he absorbed he enjoyed. I think he is a little too young for HP. 

For me, it was overall an enjoyable read. I felt a little underwhelmed after the years of hype. I've seen the film, and, this is a rarity - I like it better. There are parts of the book that stand out because they are wonderfully imaginative. There are other parts I found too long winded and could tell my son felt the same. I felt a lot could have been chopped and said more succinctly. 

Both myself and Jack enjoyed the names of people and things - Dumbledore, being a favourite. Jack especially liked the names of the houses - Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. We both liked the idea of the three headed dog and the Forbidden Forest, the mirror that allows people to see their desires, and the invisibility cloak.

I felt that the writing style was at times lacking in fluidity but the book on the whole shows strong creativity and visionary skills. The ideas are superb. I am not as enamoured as millions of others out there, but I do appreciate the imagination that went into this story.