Rating: 
Summary: Great Book
Review: I read this book in less than 2 days. The first day i read 150 pages was very busy so stopped. Today however i over 700 pages and was lost in the wonderful world that J.K. Rowling has made and I suggest that all who enjoy to read should give these books a chance.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book but not quite up to par with others
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was no doubt a very good book but I felt it was missing something very big when I finished it. The book seemed unlike J.K. Rowling's other books it lacked her unique style and creativity. I felt as though it were a work of fan fiction as opposed to the fifth novel in the Harry Potter series. I felt the climax was too short and not suspenseful enough. The rising action failed to build up to it and the falling action was rather boring. The ending was very drawn out and contained about 50 useless pages at the end. Compared to books 3 and 4 it was not as good. This book left me for no desire for the next book unlike the last one that left me begging for more. I would still recommend this book but I have to say as a longtime Harry Potter fan I was disappointed by this latest installment.
Rating:
Summary: If This Is Fantasy, We're All Living in a Dreamworld
Review: I understand that this book has sold more copies more quickly than any book in history, and that Amazon took pre-orders for around $3 million for it. Impressive. The story itself is not quite that awe-inspiring, but that's good news; if Harry's latest adventure were that brilliant, I can practically guarantee that people wouldn't love it as much as they do.We begin where Harry's adventures always begin; he's safe and miserable at the home of his disgusting relations, longing for the Hogwarts School and anxious for news from his friends. Well, he eventually gets both - no prizes for guessing that bit. This time, significantly, getting back to school and to his friends provides no relief, for several reasons. First, much of the wizarding world thinks he's either crazy or lying about his previous experiences. Second, his adult allies give him little or no information about how much danger he is in, from where, or what they are doing about it. And third, although it is not spelled out, he gets no relief because he's turning into a teenager. (He's been a technical teenager for a couple of years now, of course, but now he really starts to act like one. Never mind bloodthirsty enemies, horrible relatives and a cowardly Ministry of Magic - becoming a teenager is serious.) You've heard all the rumors about what happens next, of course. Suffice to say that Harry and his growing corps of buddies spend the next several hundred pages fighting the evil wizard Voldemort, the reactionary elements in the Ministry of Magic, the snobs and thugs in Slytherin House at school, and the usual gang of idiots. Nothing new there. So do you really need to worry that someone will tell you how it all turns out? No, you don't - you already know how it all turns out, that's why you're reading the book in the first place. Well, that and a few other things, but let's be honest; anyone who reads any popular fantasy series, including Harry Potter, and expects daringly original plotting is a fool. Ms. Rowling is neither a brilliant prose stylist nor a devastatingly original thinker. What she is, more so with each volume in her series, is a teller of rattling good yarns that carry a deep but deftly handled understanding of a young person's psychology. Why, for instance, is "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" so dark in tone? Because the life of a fifteen-year-old, wizard or not, can be a dark place at times. Let me ask you this: If you, like Harry, were a teenage boy forced to spend weeks and weeks with people you loathed, after suffering dreadful losses at the hand of someone who hated your every cell and was still out and about, and after you had unequivocally shown several times how brave and skillful you were - how would you react if every adult in your life said "Just sit tight, dear, you wouldn't understand anyway, you let us handle it"? You'd be an angel of light, would you? I don't think so, buddy. On the other hand, if you, like Harry, have a normal level of decency, you would not throw temper tantrums every five minutes, either. You would behave as Harry does here - you would struggle against bitterness and frustration, you would try to be kind to your friends, and once in a while you would lose it and nail everyone in sight right between the eyes. All of this is right on target, as anyone knows who has raised an adolescent boy, had dealings with an adolescent boy, or been an adolescent boy. What's more, Harry in this book must contend not only with a highly pressurized attempt to grow up, but also with the true unpolished memory of his father, the mysterious minds of girls, and his role as a leader - to say nothing of the ongoing threats to his life and sanity. All of those, except the last (I wish), fall to the lot of every maturing teen. People wonder why Ms. Rowling's books get thicker with every passing Hogwarts year? Well, so does the life of an adolescent. I cannot agree with those who gasp with delight at every Harry Potter development or trumpet the series as the best of all time, hence I must give "Order of the Phoenix" four stars rather than five. (I should add that, although I actually consider "Goblet of Fire" the best Potter story to date, it outdoes "Order of the Phoenix" by only a hair's breadth.) On the other hand, I re-read the first volume not long ago, and as good a read as it was, it was pretty formulaic as compared with "Phoenix". Like I said, Ms. Rowling improves fast, and her series has indeed developed into something that approaches the unique. As a teacher, I would stop worrying about any young person who loves Harry Potter - such a youngster has a brain and a heart, very good news considering how popular these books have become. And who knows - if I were 15 years old and reading this story for the first time, from the pen of a writer who really seemed to understand what I was going through, maybe I really would say it's the best series of all time. Benshlomo says, Fantasy - it isn't just for babies anymore.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for Harr y Potter Fans
Review: As excellent as its 4 predecessors, Order of the Phoenix delves deeper into the mythology of the series and into the character of our hero, Harry. True to editorials of the book we really see Harry hit adolesence, only a little harder than most 15 year olds. A new character, Delores Umbridge, will stick out in my mind as a character that has much in common with muggles I have all had to deal with at various points of my life. One of the great assets of this book is how it kept me guessing, no outcome was predictable (except maybe the content of the prophecy) and this kept me engaged. The book does have its dark and scarey parts, but as the reader matures with Harry (now 15) it should not be a problem. The book contains a strong messsage of comaraderie and teamwork that we need to remember to live by. The results of this are surprising and heartwarming. It is fun to watch all the characters grow and change and to meet the new characters, both with Harry and against.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent continuation, but not as good as previous books
Review: I very much enjoyed this book... except for a few nitpicks. Firstly:
Harry's constant angst. Yes, I know he's had a lot happen to him in the past few years, but the constant anger and shouting isn't going to make his case. Frankly, he acts like a typical know-it-all 15 year old. What happened the to sweet Harry we used to know and love? Now he thinks he knows better than anyone else, no one else could POSSIBLY know how he feels, and, as usual, he totally ignores the sensible things he could do, like talk to Dumbledore about his problems, in favor of acting like a hero. If he didn't want the constant attention, there are avenues he could take. He's made the same mistakes time and again, he should learn from them. Tell other people when something's wrong!
The beginning drags a bit. This probably could have been shortened by about a hundred pages if things had been condensed.
One-dimensional characters: Draco can't be ALL bad, yet he's shown as constantly evil, no matter what. Everyone has a good side to them.
The death of one of my favorite characters! Other than that, it was an excellent read. I can't wait for the next book.
Rating:
Summary: Rowling Does it Again
Review: There has been some controversey over the darkness and complexity of the Harry Potter books as the series has progressed, some arguing that the later, longer books with their dense plotlines and deaths of major characters become offputting to the intended age group of children 9-12. However, while complex in plot, the fifth installment in the Harry Potter series, like it's four predecesors, employs a narrative style so simple that young readers will not be scared off so easily. Furthermore, part of Rowling's intention in writing these stories was to show the adult world how much they underestimate children, and she is proven right again and again as children (and adults, for that matter) around the world continue to fall in love with her books BECAUSE of their intricate plotlines, not in spite of them. As far as the darkness and death involved in the novels, their purpose does not seem to be to scare the readers. As a reader, we become one with Harry, seeing the world as he sees it (particularly due to the limited omniscence of the narrator). While this world may be dark and frightening, we find ourselves alongside such faithful companions as Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, George, Fred, Ginny, Nevile, Dumbledore, and countless other characters who are so lovable and loyal to Harry that the reader never truly feels as if he or she is in danger. Instead, the frightening aspects of the books teach young readers NOT to be afraid, as Harry and his friends, who--apart from being wizards--are quite normal children, overcome these obstacles. The overriding message to children, therefore, is that anyone, no matter how small they feel they are, can overcome the obstacles put in THEIR paths as well. In essence, the books aren't about magic as much as they're about child empowerment, teaching children how strong they can truly be. As for the rest of the book, it is truly a treat! The good guys are so good and the bad guys so bad that anyone with the slightest inner child will squeal with delight as these characters, who the reader easily becomes emotionally attatched to, will share in the characters' triumphs and defeats. A Five-Star read, Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix is truly one of the most remarkable pieces of children's literature ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent...a mixture of all 4 books plus more
Review: This book takes the series to a new level of imagination and depth. We see that Rowling's style has not changed, but rather emphasized the idea of thickening the plot. At first, my impression of this book would be one full of action and excitement, continuing the dark conclusion of book 4. However, the first 500 pages of the book appear to be setting some stage and plot for the potentially violent acts in the upcoming 6th book. I found that the style in book 5's opening made the reader slightly indifferent to the purpose and hideout of the Order of the Phoenix(since it's purpose is pretty obvious from its name). I found myself awaiting some dark violent scene that would rival the dark scenes of the book's cover, and instead came upon a beautifully crafted plot. You can tell right away, that the author catches the reader's attention with the first few chapters, then continues to pursue the promised rage and violence towards the book's concluding chapters.
The greatest present appearing from this book is the amazing detail and scope it provides of this magical world - taking the reader to places that were just mentioned in previous books. As with the remainder of the series, book 5 answers several questions, and after satiating the reader's curiosity, it adds more questions to your mind as you read it. The detail, reality, amazing imagination and imagery, plus the authentic creativity make this the best HP book yet. After reading the 4th book, I thought it would be hard to beat the mystery with Moody as Crouch- but the events and complexity of this book make that look like a joke. And even with this complex nature, the easy, enjoyable flavor that urges and entrances the reader to continue to read is still present in large quantities. - all i can say is wow.
Rating:
Summary: Soooo long in coming!
Review: But SO glad to finally have the next installment! It's definitely a bewitched book - once you pick it up, you'll have a very hard time putting it down. Many twists and turns, lots of suspense - you may feel like you're holding your breath, waiting for the next "shoe to drop"! J.K.'s left lots of things still unexplored- plenty of stuff to cover for book 6 & 7 - just hope she doesn't make us wait this long for book#6!! Thanks for another barn-burner of a book!
Rating:
Summary: Book Five
Review: The latest installment of Harry Potter is mind-numbingly thick - a good half inch thicker, in fact, than its predecessor. Yet you might be surprised by how little actually happens... As soon as I finished The Goblet of Fire, I thought to myself: "Good work, J.K. - no more fooling around - the stage is finally set for the real action." I was dissappointed however to find that the Order of the Phoenix is stuck somewhere in the stale regions of Rowling's ultimate vision. Even the most prominent plotline seems far too insignificant to be worth a year of devoted attention from both Voldemort's supporters and their adversaries. Also, though the pages climb well into the 800s - practically no new information was revealed. What little I learned about Harry and Voldemort seemed uninteresting, tangled, illogical, and cliched. Don't be fooled by that excerpt Scholastic released, where Dumbledore tells Harry: "Sit down, I'm going to tell you everything." When I finally got to this point in the book I was thinking to myself "is that IT?" The big revelation is nothing but a disappointing confabulation, seemingly thrown in at the last minute. The structure I won't get into very much, but rest assured that this one follows the same pattern as all the others. As usual, Rowling likes to throw in seemingly insignificant details at the beginning that ultimately manifest as part of the larger plot. While plausible, they were neither interesting nor especially deep. Again, a haphazard effort on the author's part to create complexity where there was very little. J.K.'s new characters were mostly bland. Only a couple of Harry's new friends (and foes) were exempt from this judgement. I was very happy, though, with her portrayal of the original cast. In sum, this book is yet another of five stage-setters - so don't expect a lot of big stuff (though there was one event that particularly gripped me). While I cannot say that Rowling is a particularly groundbreaking or talented writer, her work still manages to draw me in somehow: I mourn and laugh with her characters as if the world is my own, and my high regard for her work as a whole remains unmarred. I look forward to the final two installments.
Rating:
Summary: It just gets better
Review: This is the best in the series yet. Waiting for the book was well worth it. The plot just gets better and better. The book keeps you guessing till the end. I can't wait for the next book to come out.
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