Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Spoilers)

[dubious elise]

I hate to be a party-pooper but I really thought Rowling was uncharacteristically obvious in this one. It just didn't seem quite as thrilling as all of the rest leading up to it. Yes, I do realize that they are 16 and 17 now and looooooove is supposed to be such a big thing but between that and the gore, I guess I just didn't understand where she was going.
I suppose I liked it more when she stuck to the action and allowed the reader's mind to wander as she described the effects of a potion or spell instead of telling the reader flat out.
Nonetheless she has been as thorough and creative as ever. The only thing I question technically is where Gryffindor's ruby-filled hour glass was first mentioned. Granted, it has been some time since I last read any of them, but it didn't even set off a mental alarm as to where it was first written about.