This is far and away my favourite Harry Potter book. It's the best written, it's the most descriptive, it's a tight plot and it's the one that has a completely different storyline to all of the others. It's refreshing and you really follow the characters' emotional development. 

This is the first time I've listened to the audio version. Stephen Fry is, as usual, completely brilliant at bringing the wizarding world to life and, as with Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, there are little nuances and bits of description I've picked up on for the first time through his reading. I love that, even after so many years anad many, many rereads, I'm still finding new things in these books that add to my enjoyment.

One bigger thing that really came through for me in the narration is just how pathetically hypocritical Snape actually is. It's always bugged me that his entire hatred of Harry was based on schoolboy jealousy and a childhood grudge, but the way Fry reads the text really brings through just how self-centered he is in a whole new way for me. He's never grown up! There are some people I went to school with that bullied me and that I really didn't like, but if I saw them today I'd probably just ignore them. I definitely wouldn't act like we were all still there! It's so frustrating, and yet just shows how good Fry is at giving the story depth with the power of his voice.

That being said, the only reason I can't give this the full five stars is that the audio version does something to the pacing that spoils it for me. I guess it's because I can read the book in about 3 hours, so listening to the audio feels very slow in comparison. This book does deserve to be savoured, but there is so little in the way of wasted words in here that it just doesn't need to take that long. I appreciate this is a completely subjective reason for my rating, but it just doesn't engage me in the way that the physical book does.

I love Lupin and Sirius as characters - I haven't fallen down the 'WolfStar' rabbit hole yet, but I'm sure I could be persuaded - I certainly love the idea! I adore how Rowling sets them both up to play the bigger roles they do later in the series, and I do wish they could have been even more prominent! There is so much in this one that sets up the future story arc, not just for Lupin and Siruis but for the overall story - I almost wish this one was the size of Order of the Phoenix just so there was more to enjoy!

My only slight grievance with the story itself is how quickly Harry goes from thinking Sirius is a murderer to 'when can I move in?'. I appreciate that, even if he was guilty, he'd still be better to live with than the Dursleys, but I just think there would be a little more of a thought process. 

I think I'll stick with reading this one in future, but love it all the same!