Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Harry Potter, Book 4

Book review by Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Harry Potter, Book 4 Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 10+

Fourth Potter has brilliant plotting -- and dragons.

J. K. Rowling Fantasy 2000
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Parents say

age 9+

Based on 25 reviews

Kids say

age 9+

Based on 145 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

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What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series about an orphan boy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Know right off the bat that a Hogwarts student dies in this one, and he's heavily mourned by fellow students and young readers alike. The overall mood is darker -- the book opens with another murder -- and Goblet of Fire is about 300 pages longer than Book 3, so if kids younger than 10 are begging to keep rolling with the series, consider reading it aloud to them first to see how they fare. You can also check out our Harry Potter Age-by-Age Guide as well as details in individual reviews to help you decide. Other murders are talked about, three that take place close to or during the timeline of the book (from killing curses and a soul-sucking "kiss" from a dementor) and long before when Voldemort was in power and he and his followers were responsible for many deaths. There's talk of torture before these deaths through a painful curse, and talk of a student's parents who were tortured into insanity. A man cuts off his own hand; someone is tied up, cut, and tortured with pain. Fights with dragons, big spiders, and other magical creatures lead to injuries, including burns and a broken ankle. Harry and friends are 14 now and go to a Yule Ball; there's some drama around crushes and finding dates, and older students are caught kissing in the bushes after the ball. There's some drinking, but mostly by adults, house elves, and flying horses (they drink single-malt whiskey). The butterbeer that students drink has only a tiny bit of alcohol in it. Harry faces many big challenges bravely in this book, and lessons are learned about fair play (kids play fair, adults don't) and why you shouldn't always believe what you read. This book is also available in an illustrated edition with art by Jim Kay.

Community Reviews

shrink monster
shrink monster Adult
October 26, 2010
age 10+

e.g. Perfect for older kids, but not for kids under 10

My 8 year old has gotten me into this series and i absoulutely love it - but not as much as she does. Fortunately or unfortunately she read the whole series before I finished #3. According to her that is good because I never would have let her read 4-7. She's probably right, however she reads and rereads them and shows no signs of any issues from the scary stuff. I still think parts are too violent for a child her age. (she doesnt)

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
christineaustin100
christineaustin100 Adult
June 30, 2022
age 11+

Darker than the first three but still awesome!!

This book is so good! Exciting and brilliant just like the rest of the series. The only reason why I would take extra care letting your kid read this book is because the first good character in the series dies. Don’t worry, it’s not a main character! But it’s still very sad and kind of sudden. There is also a kidnapping, but not graphic and they are fine in the end. I won’t say who because it would totally ruin the book for you! There is also mild bullying to Harry’s friends from Draco, but, I mean, it happens in every book. If it hasn’t bothered you or your kid before, it won’t bother them now. However, this book is full of good messages and role models because: - All kinds of different people and races are shown and included. - Friendships and romances are made between houses, showing (in a way) diversity. - Generosity is shown by Harry to the Weasleys. (In case you are unaware, Harry is very rich and the weasleys are very poor) The weasleys also show generosity to Harry despite their lack of money. - Friends are shown to stick by each other through thick and thin, despite some fights that Harry and Ron have. If you or your child loved the first 3 books, they will love this one. Just remember that it is slightly darker but all of the main characters are fine in the end.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
See all 25 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, Harry wakes up at his aunt and uncle's house with a start, his scar searing, after he dreams of Wormtail and Voldemort and murder. He nearly forgets all about it when his friend Ron invites him to the Quidditch World Cup. It's Ireland vs. Bulgaria, and it seems the whole wizarding world is there to watch the excitement. Harry gets his first look at a pro Quidditch match, and everyone is in awe of the Bulgarian Seeker, Viktor Krum. Celebrations after the match carry so far into the night that Harry dozes off -- only to be awakened suddenly by screams of panic. Masked figures are moving through the campsites, floating innocent Muggles in front of them and taunting them for fun. These are the Death Eaters, Voldemort's followers, and they are growing bolder. It's an ominous display that casts a cloud over what is supposed to be a thrilling school year ahead. Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament, and two other schools are journeying there to compete: Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Each school gets a champion selected by the magical Goblet of Fire, and the champions will perform three difficult tasks during the year. From Durmstrang, the Goblet selects none other than the famous Seeker Viktor Krum, from Beauxbatons, a girl named Fleur Delacour, and from Hogwarts, handsome Hufflepuff Cedric Diggory. But, to everyone's utter astonishment, the Goblet of Fire spits out one more name: Harry Potter. While the other schools are in an uproar over the unfairness of it all, Harry and those closest to him wonder who could have put his name in the cup. Could it have anything to do with his painful dream before the World Cup, and exactly how much danger is he in now?

Is It Any Good?

This first of the truly hefty Hogwarts volumes -- 300 pages longer than the last one – launches the darker second half of the series with an exciting tournament and the return of a terrifying foe. In Book 3, we get a break from Voldemort-level evil and are scared out of our wits only when those soul-sucking dementors appear. Book 4 begins in Voldemort's lair, not the safe haven of Privet Drive. Voldemort is a grotesque, infant-size thing accompanied by his giant pet snake and Wormtail, his simpering rat-servant. Right away the tone is unsettling, and when Harry wakes up with his scar searing in pain after being witness to a real murder in his dreams, you can predict the intense showdown to come. Yes, this is the one where a student dies, and geez, it's horrible. But Voldemort is ruthless, and the more we learn during the course of the book about his followers, the Death Eaters, and what happened the last time the Dark Lord was in power, the more this senseless loss makes sense, and the more readers will realize what kind of perilous ride is ahead for Harry and friends in the rest of the series.

Like all the Potter books, though, there's a whole school year at Hogwarts to distract us from the inevitable, and even better, a Triwizard Tournament and students from two rival schools, and a Yule Ball with all kinds of crushes and shenanigans -- Harry and friends are 14 now, so it's time for that stuff. Many, many fans call Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire their favorite of the series for one reason: dragons. Maybe the mermaids, too, but definitely not for Hagrid's blast-ended screwts. Older fans will enjoy the hilariously infuriating antics of crooked reporter Rita Skeeter, and budding activists will feel for Hermione's attempts to bring rights to the house elves (a storyline the fantastic movie version doesn't have the time to touch on). We're nearly lulled into a sense that it's just another school year -- that is, if we haven't been paying attention to those mysterious disappearances, or the casting of the Dark Mark at the World Cup, or how exactly Harry became a Triwizard champion at all.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Rita Skeeter in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Who trusts the stories she writes and who doesn't? How do you know when you're getting information from a reliable source and how do you know when it's been heavily embellished or downright false? What do news outlets gain by writing sensationalized stories?

  • Kids just getting into the series will find a whole world of Harry Potter available to them, from Chocolate Frogs for sale at the grocery store to theme parks. A die-hard Potter fan can spend a lot of money in their lifetime on merchandise and experiences. Do you think this is worth your money? Are there other ways you can celebrate books you love without raiding your piggy bank?

  • At the end of the book, the Minister of Magic outright rejects the startling news Harry tells him. What do you think this will mean for Book 5? If they believed Harry, what do you think would happen next?

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