I haven't gotten much sleep for awhile. I traveled out of town, had to hunt down the book at Borders at midnight and I couldn't go to sleep until I read at least the first chapter. I share a lot of reactions with many of you:

The whole first 300 pages was just meh. And then the last half rocked.

But honestly, it could have been 200 pages shorter. The whole first 300 pages was just meh. And then the last half rocked.

I completely agree with this. But then too, I felt a really serious send of doom that I didn't really have in the latter half of the book. I don't know some of their searching process couldn't have been cut back some.

I surprised myself by sobbing when Ron but the socks on Dobby. I had a few moments when I almost believed Harry would die. What kept me from really believing it was that she wouldn't leave Tonks' and Remus' child without a godfather.

I can't believe I felt so for Dobby - of all people. That was a surprise for sure. The socks part turned me out. I also thought it removed some of the tension in the story to have Harry be the godparent. I also *knew* Hermione and Ron were going to make it after that passionate kiss. Ain't no way Rowling was going to kill either one off as a result.

Ultimately, I kind of liked that the adults Harry was in awe of (or afraid of) were just weak individuals whose obsessions/passions brought them down. Snape ended up being so pitiful in the end (not unexpectedly) and Dumbledore was wise, but also flawed. It all seems pretty appropriate to me.

OH!

While I wasn't surprised that Snape loved Lily, I was surprised that Lily was genuinely fond of Child!Snape and that they were very close. I thought that during the failed Occulemency lessons when Harry saw the memory of his dad picking on Snape that Lily was angry because she was a Defender of the Abused. But in reality, I like that she was actually fond of Snape based on a friendship and not just based on pity.

I knew that there would be a redemption of Snape, but I didn't think it would extend to Harry naming his middle child after him (at least his middle name).

Snape/Lily was very strange for me because I've just read Nineteen Minutes, which is basically the same story -- a childhood friendship between a boy and a girl, one of whom ends up part of the "popular" group while the other becomes a school shooter. Did anyone else read both and find the parallels really interesting?

I could wank it and say it's appropriate for them the book to be shapeless and lot when the characters themselves are also shapeless and at a loss about what to do. But honestly, it could have been 200 pages shorter.

A friend of mine compared it to Doublemeat Palace in that respect, and I can see what you're both saying. I didn't feel that way while reading it, but in retrospect it could've been a bit shorter. It still fell way way short of the WE GET IT, SHE'S LOST AND DIRECTIONLESS, SHUT UP of Season Sex Buffy for me, though.

Right. Directionless and lost for 200 pages is much more endurable (if that's a word) than directionless and lost and written by Marti Noxon for 23 episodes.

I thought it was funny that none of the kids were named Fred.

I liked it, though I did find it dragged. What bugged was the ending for me. Because I wanted to know more. Were Harry/Ginny Hermione/Ron living in the muggle world and why? What do they do? Was order restored to the wizard world? How did George get on without Fred? Who raised Lupin and Tonks' kid if not his godfather?

The one thing that this book did for me was create a sense of forboding and dread and the isolation that they felt. Once Hedwig died, you never knew who was next, and while they were wearing that locket aorund their necks, I thought anything was possible.

I've always been a medium Harry Potter fan, but I love the world she created and I am sad it's over.

Wanted much more of Neville and Ginny and what was going on with Hogwarts while they were on the run.

I think that the books (esp. 4 and this one) really shine when they are at Hogwarts, as opposed to the rest of the wizarding world. Hogwarts and the school calendar provided a predictable yet comfortable timeline for the stories which I missed in this one.

I was so happy when Professor M. (can't spell it) finds Harry in the Ravenclaw Tower. I missed her!

How did George get on without Fred?

My absolute favorite theory on this was posted on Livejournal. George obviously goes on to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and Fred is a castle ghost, until the day George dies and they move on together.

I was so happy when Professor M. (can't spell it) finds Harry in the Ravenclaw Tower. I missed her!

And her emotion at seeing Harry's body!

YES!

Dana, I love that theory, though I don't know that I can imagine George giving up the joke shop for academia.

Another theory I've seen is that Percy goes in on the joke shop with George. But I like the ghost one better.