Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling

What I wrote about Harry Potter on Blue Beta:

I get to be a competitive brat to you because you're purple. It took me 3 1/2 hours.

I was, overall, satisifed. Rowling isn't by any means the greatest writer of all time--I was amused at how many chapters ended with Harry passing out/being hit by a spell/maybe dead--but I think she mostly fulfilled the promise of the earlier books in bringing the series to a close, and the book overall was touching as well as gripping. The ending felt inevitable, and, while I initially felt that the plot should require Harry's death, in the end I liked his near-death and return better, as it allowed him to defeat Voldemort through Voldemort's own failings (i.e., inability to love or understand others), a far more satisfying ending. Though I didn't particularly like the epilogue, I was glad to see Harry earn a normal life, unlike Frodo, since his early life, unlike Frodo's, was so decidedly un-normal. It was nice to see that after fulfilling his destiny he could settle down and be at peace, and, as some have pointed out, perhaps more appropriate for a children's book.

I am amused to see how many people on here correctly guessed what would happen, and indeed much of the plot was fairly obvious from the start, but I think that speaks well of the book and Rowling's understanding of her own plot and what it would require. I do agree that Dumbledore's shady past should have been brought up earlier; it seemed strange that such a perfect figure should now be doubted, but one could also argue that's properly in line with Harry's maturation process: learning to see role models and mentors as flawed beings.

All in all, a satisfying ending to what is a very good, but not my favorite, children's fantasy series.