I have probably re-read this book at least ten times by now. It's always one of my favorites and I love how JK Rowling's series grows with the audience as well as seeing how she herself grows an author over the course of Harry's time at Hogwarts. I reread this book and the rest of the series every year starting January 1st. It feels like going home.
The Slytherin special edition of this book has some wonderful additions, including character profiles, house information, and a lovely map of the Hogwarts grounds. The sprayed edges are quite possibly the best thing I've ever seen on a book. I am so happy I got the entire set of special editions, even if I am just Slytherin myself.

This series is just so tightly written. It's a textbook example of how to write a great book. The characters are so wonderful too. I've enjoyed learning so much about Raoul because the end of Lioness Rampant hinted that he became an even more wonderful person as an adult.

I'm sad to wrap up our journey with Kel. The final battle wasn't as climactic as Alanna's was, but it was decent. Like YA literature of the time, everything wraps up far too quickly for my taste, but it was the way stories were written at the time. I feel like Pierce is now freer to build tension and worry by slowing down the action instead of speeding it up.

Overall, wonderful. I've still got some Pierce books left to read, so off I go!

There were very few "new moments", but this was mostly an enjoyable book. Sometimes Edward could spiral into chapters of angst that got heavy to slog through, but I suppose decades of being a teenager would do that to anyone. Poor dude.

Yikes. On Bikes.

There is no way this man is fit to be president.

I really enjoyed this story. The author paired together separate experiences brilliantly. Not only did this book give great background information on the war, but it gave that information as a series of human experiences; not dates and places to memorize. I can see this book appealing to some of my students who had family members who served in Vietnam or to those who are interested in the military themselves. I teared up when Elizabeth Partridge concluded her story of the war with The Wall. My teen self would have loved to have this book. I think it would have started some conversations with my grandfather, a Lt. Col. during his final tour (of three) in country. I would give anything for those conversations now.

This book is just beautiful.

It's okay to not be happy in the things that you thought you'd love. It's okay to not be happy with the relationships you thought you'd enjoy.

Sometimes we sabotage ourselves from enjoying life because we don't think it's okay to change our minds. Sometimes we sabotage ourselves through our own anxieties.

These are powerful messages.

And then there are so many lovely diverse characters in this book. Often diversity can feel like tokenism. Not in this book. All of the Bahai'i and Zoroastrian characters, the queer and trans characters, the multi-cultural characters... everyone has a purpose in the story for being exactly as they are. Everyone feels so completely natural as they are written and nothing feels forced.

This book is beautiful and it will make you feel beautiful too.

Don't get me wrong, this book was good. It just didn't grab me immediately like Dear Martin did. I also took issue with a bit of the pacing of the book and with the sudden savior like behavior of Justyce and his friends. Nic Stone addresses this in the author's note at the end of the book and that note is worth reading.

This book is worth reading too, even if it wasn't my absolute favorite. It's important.