Book 14,  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Author: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 734
Release date: 2000

What worked:  First and foremost, the writing is better.  This started with Prizoner of Azkaban, and continued throughout this novel.  It is definately darker and that is shown from the beginning with there being a few deaths to start the book.  That in itself illustrates the change in the book to more of an adult feel to it. 

Harry is a year older and his relationship with Ron and Hermione show this.  They are 14 now and things change each of your teeange years.  You get to see a glimpse of something that could happen between Ron and Hermione.  The tournament was interesting and a unique way of showing a fuller world out there.  A world that doesn't just involve Hogwarts.  I also loved the World cup.  That was cool and I wish they had added more of it in the movie. 

The one thing Rowling has always done a good job is keeping you guessing and misdrection.  I love that you don't see the end coming and how each book does a great job of surprising you in that regard.  The Yule ball had an awesome moment between Ron and Hermione.  Hermioine is so cute how she cares about the house elves. 

Then ending is amazing.

Constant Vigilance!

What did not work:  It did get a bit slow at times, but that was due to how big the book was.  Nothing bad, just slow at times.  I missed Quidditch.   

Favorite quotes:   "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."  Sirius Black

Rating.  9.0 out of 10. A darker book with more death and mayhem and a great ending.  Seeming to be more of an adult book it really sets the last books up with ease.

Book 15, Unshapely Things
Author: Mark del Franco
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 305
Release date: 2007

What worked:  Very little,  Being a fan of the Dresden Files, I want to like other books of this genre.  The setting was ok, and I did like the european feel of the world.  The magic was interesting. 

What did not work:  As I said, I am a HUGE Harry Dresden fan.  To illustrate just how annoying and a cliche of that series this novel was, I made a list of things that were the same:

                                                Unshapely things                         The Dresden Files
1.  Disgrunted wizard          Connor Gray                                  Harry Dresden
2.  Cop sidekick                   Murdock                                          Murphy
3.  Governing body that
has lost its way                    The Guild                                        The White Council
4. Small fairie that
gets information                 Stinkwort                                           Toot
5.  Large city                        Boston                                              Chicago
6.  Member of gov
body that doesnt
like character                      manDuin                                          Morgan

Get the point?  I could go on.  Connor was not that interesting and the relatoinships he had with people weren't either.  It was sort of a murder mystery that I did not really care about.  I just wanted it to end so I could go on to something else.  It felt like such a rip off and barely had anything original to add to this genre.  

The plot was boring.  Yes, there were murder and the fate of the world was at hand.  I could not get invested enough to care about it either way.  The writing isn't very good either, but that is only more obvious when I am not interested in the book at all.

Fvorite quotes:  "The wrong of unshapely things is a wrong too great to be told."

Rating.  3.0 out of 10. Not a book I would tell anyone else to read.  Felt like a Dresden file hack and adds nothing to the genre.  Avoid at all costs.  Bad.