The Goblet of Fire was the first book I had to wait for, and the craziness that happened at the end of Prisoner of Azkaban left me reeling -- I had to know what would happen next. The buildup could have resulted in a serious letdown, but lets be honest - when does J.K. Rowling ever let us down? This is the Harry Potter installment that took the series to the next level, in my opinion. The previous three novels had glimpses of just how hard and harrowing Harry's journey was and could be, but The Goblet of Fire's events are when it gets real. By the end of the book, you realize this series is going to go well beyond a simple tale of baby who defeated the most evil wizard and grew up to go to wizarding school. The final chapter is titled "The Beginning," which is a fitting way of saying that the battle has just begun. 
 Beyond the dark events of Harry's disturbing Voldemort dreams, the emergence of Death Eaters, missing Ministry workers, and the final (terrifying) chapters, this book is so fun. First there's the Quidditch World Cup, which is the first time in the series where readers get to really see the wizarding world and foreign wizards outside of Hogwarts. Then there's the Triwizard Tournament. Even though Harry's participation is clouded by the fact that someone with likely sinister intentions illegally entered him, it's quite the experience rooting for him as he takes on each task. Also, teenage drama alert! I loved all the stress/embarrassment/regret/jealousy/etc that surrounded the Yule Ball. It was great comedic relief, especially all the scenes involving Ron. It is sometimes easy to forget and Harry and his friends, after all the crazy stuff they've been through, are just 14 years old. Lastly, the magical creatures were rampant in this one! From dragons to mermaids to sphinxes (and let's not forget the beloved blast-ended skrewts), Rowling pulls off all the stops when it comes to showing off the magical creatures of the world she has created. 
 There was something that struck me concerning Harry as I reread this book. In the previous books, he shows incredible bravery, but he has a lot of help too. He never would've gotten to the Sorcerer's Stone without Ron and Hermione, he never would've defeated Tom Riddle without Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, and he never would have saved Sirius without the help of Dumbledore and Hermione. He never would've gotten through the first and second tasks of the Triwizard tournament without Moody and Dobby. This doesn't take away from his skill and courage one bit. But at the end of Goblet of Fire, when he (view spoiler)[watches Cedric get murdered and then has to face Voldemort all on his own (hide spoiler)], he has no one to help him. He has no time to prepare. For the first time, he has nothing but his own skill and strength at his disposal. And in a scenario where many would've wanted to curl up and hide, he stands up and fights and, to the shock of all around him, succeeds. While before he would kind of stumble upon solutions and fumble his way to success, here he understands he very well may die and is all on his own, but he won't give up without a fight. The graveyard is where Harry becomes the boy he has to be in the following books if Voldemort is ever going to be defeated. Big things are beginning to happen, and Harry proves himself worthy. 
 I once again listened on audio, and I cannot get enough of Jim Dale. By now I can recognize most of the character's voices immediately, and the emotion with which he delivers the chapters following the third task had me both creeped out and crying. His Voldemort is appropriately terrifying. I do this for every review but I really can't recommend the audio version enough. 
 Other thoughts: 
 The Harry/Ron temporary breakup always kills me. It's probably one of my least favorite portions of the series just because it frustrates and stresses me out so much. I am always so relieved when Ron comes to his senses. 
 We get to meet more Weasleys in this one - Bill and Charlie. How cool is Bill? He rocks a ponytail, works with goblins, and is so supportive of Harry. The Weasleys are just the best family. 
 As much as Rita Skeeter is a despicable character, I can't help but admire Rowling's foresight to introduce the power and influence of the media in this book, as it plays a huge role in the following installments. Rita is one of those characters that you love to hate; she drove me nuts, but she was fun to read. 
 Cedric...dear Cedric. You left us too soon. Seriously, as he and Harry approached the Triwizard Cup I found myself praying, "Just don't touch it, just don't touch it." And then it all happens, and Harry brings him back, and I just think about his adoring father finding out and I lose it. I definitely was more touched by this death rereading it than I was before. 
 Dumbledore really rocks it with the quotes toward the end. He was always a quoteable character, but this one is full of Dumbledorisms that I plan to live my life by. Here are a few: 
 "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided." 
 "It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be." 
 "Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery." 
 "Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open." 
 This was the first book where the internet was prominent enough for people to connect online and share theories, and one thing I distinctly remember reading theories about was "Who is Arabella Figg!?" People literally dissected every mention of her, to her excessive amount of cats to the smell of cabbage in her house (apparently one of the ingredients of Polyjuice Potion). The fact that one tiny mention of a name could kick off hours of heated and elaborate debate goes to show just how much Harry Potter was like crack to some kids (myself included).