no longer a children's book.
Rowling managed to complete the series having her cake and eating it too. (or eating her cake and having it too.)
I was surprised on the ultimate stand that Rowling took on evil and the nature of her bad guy. I was surprised at the choices that Harry made and their consequences.
Surprise is a good element to maintain for 7 books.
The book is violent. The opening scene was nauseating and disturbing, but it was supposed to be - evil is disturbing. Deathly Hallows is quite deathly. I had heard prior to reading the book that two characters would die. I don't know which of the 8(?) characters who were killed counted as the 2 - but certainly emotional.
I will not pretend that the book teaches Christian values or is a Christian book - I think Rowling has made it quite clear that it is not. (or where Christian truths are evident, she did not intend for them to be.)
However, reading the book will not grease the slippery slope.
Is an ability to see the good in art that has been questioned a 'good' thing, or a blindness to the 'dangers' being questioned? There are times that, much to my chagrin, I do wonder - what would Jesus do? I wonder if Jesus would be able to have any opinions or preferences about anything. I saw a West Wing episode in which the president couldn't say that he didn't like green beans without the green bean farmers getting mad at him - could Christ say that he doesn't like Pepsi without cults rising up and refusing caffeine? Could Christ say that he does like fantastical fiction without raising the eyebrows of concerned friends and neighbors?
As little as I can figure, He would probably have little to do with cliches and pat answers, but He may not have had time for Harry Potter either.
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