Pottermania...

Well I started and finished reading the last Harry Potter book within a day. Don't worry, I won't say anything other than to say I really disliked the pacing of the end of the book and series. It felt rushed, muddled and grasping at straws, and, overall, it felt like she wrote it with the movie adaptation constantly in the back of her mind.

That said, I'm damn glad this series is over. Pottermania is lying in the grave and in the next two years it will be covered up and buried with the release of the last two movies. Speaking only for myself, all I can say is, "Thank God". It's been long enough.

Don't get me wrong, it was a good series, but after 7 books, (and soon, 7 movies), it got tiresome. No more will there be wild internet speculation about the release date of the next book. The story is wrapped up, for better or for worse, and there won't be any more wild internet rumors about who does what to whom in the next installment.

The only thing I take away from this series is hope that children who grew up reading Harry Potter, children who wouldn't have picked up fiction novels otherwise, will see the value of novels and literature and continue reading. I'm not holding my breath, however. Somehow I doubt this will cause a new generation to look at books and think they'd rather read than go fulfill their need for instant gratification by watching a movie or playing a video game.