(no subject)
Were there things that really irked me? Yes.
Were there things that could have been done better? Certainly.
Was the epilogue, for the most part, dreadful? God yes. (Though it was nice that it ended happily. And Harry calling Snape the bravest man he ever knew was wonderful.)
Overall though, I really enjoyed it. It was my favorite book in the series since Prisoner of Azkaban. I was beside myself when Hedwig died, disgusted when George lost an ear, empathetic toward Ron when he affected by the locket, traumatized when Hermione was crucioed, tearful when Dobby was killed , worried when it was revealed that Luna was captured, hurt when Fred died, emotional when Harry was walking toward what he thought was his death, glad when Neville chopped off Nagini's head, gleeful when Molly Weasley called Bellatrix Lestrange a "BITCH" (wtf did that come from? It was hilarious) , and overwhelmed by just how amazing Snape turned out to be (the stuff about him at the end was, hands down, my favorite part of the book).
While there were parts of the story that I found difficult to get into or rushed, I walked around today--having finished the book at 4 in the morning-- feeling, for the most part, satisfied. So satisfied, in fact, that I'm fighting the urge to reread the series over again (even though I just got done doing that). As someone who only just got into the books a little over a year ago, I can't imagine what it's like for people who have been with the series for a decade. J.K. Rowling may not be the greatest writer, but she has created a truly wonderful world, one I'm sure I'll go back and visit from time to time throughout my life. My first book release may have been my last as well but I'm glad I caught this train before it was gone for good.