Yeah, that's right, I -- of all people -- actually went ahead and gave a Harry Potter book five stars. 
 Why? 
 Because this book EARNED it; I can honestly say I haven't enjoyed a book this much since I read Jessica Stilling's Betwixt and Between. It was funny, charming, sad, amusing, just everything... 
 I really like how, in each book so far (please bear in mind I'm reading these for the first time, folks who think this is a duh factor), J.K. Rowling has made things look like they are going one way, one person is obviously the bad guy, then WAMO, it's a red herring and the real story has been under the characters' shocked noses the whole time. In this book in particular that really sparkled through with the introduction of Harry's godfather to the series. 
 Also, I hadn't realized how many books about children struck me as truly unrealistic in how kids react to things until I read this one and FULLY BELIEVED all of these thirteen year old reactions. The fight over pets and homework were all very, very believable. To me, this book was the first two (which I liked enough to give four stars each) vamped up to eleven in the fun factor. Every twist was so entertaining and the little details (the time turner necklace, the animal transformation magic, the werewolf bits, the fact that chocolate is a cure for something evil) just shone so brightly I couldn't tear my eyes away. 
 My one complaint, and this is really stretching it to even FIND one, really, is that we don't see much of Ginny in this book and I really liked her in Chamber of Secrets. Though, to be fair, we only saw her a little bit in the first book as well and that was still a perfectly entertaining read without her. Shrugs. 
 In short, the fabulous writing in this book just blew me away. I mean I enjoyed the first two a great deal, but this -- THIS -- showed me why everyone is so nuts about these books and J.K. Rowling's writing. This really showcased that for me. 
 And, of course, for those who may have stumbled across this review and are shocked at my suddenly change in opinion towards the Harry Potter series, please take a look at my review for The Sorcerer's Stone for a brief explanation on the matter. 
 And as always with this series, recommended, but with caution because of the controversy surrounding these books as a whole.