I finished the last Harry Potter book. After my hesitant start on the series, I slowly came to the realization that while the books are very different from most of what I read, they're actually very well written.
You've likely heard it said that this series begins as childrens' books and intends to grow up with the children reading it. The books got gradually darker, and this last book was most certainly the darkest - it was almost depressing at times. But as they say, darkest before the dawn.
With her concepts of magic based on wands and silly magic words, I'd initially dismissed J.K. Rawling as an author, and viewed the books as guilty pleasures of a sort. But as the books progressed, it became clear that she had a plan. The plot grows more complex, and her skill for weaving mystery and dropping subtle foreshadowing clues becomes more evident. While her magic isn't as scientifically structured as Robert Jordan's or as magically mysterious as Tolkien's, it does have its own charm. Rawling's strength is in her characters, their relationships, and their development.
When I started reading the series, I'd had a lot of questions. They were all answered. Eventually. And nearly nothing was exactly what I'd expected. Which is good.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. Deathly Hallows was a fitting end to the Harry Potter stories, and nicely wrapped up the series.