Rating: 
Summary: Most Excellent
Review: This book is WICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKEDWICKED AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you have any doubts about buying this book, kindly do yourself a favor and stick them in a drawer somewhere. This book is even better than the GoF, due to the absence of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students to distract you from the plot. The old characters remain as lovable (or infamous) as ever, and the new characters are just as wonderful! I advise you to read it slowly, because once you finish it, it will be like coming back from a brilliant vacation and finding yourself awoken to a bad reality. WARNING: If you like the character who dies, the death scene will make you cry. READ NOW!
Rating: 
Summary: The Order of the Phoenix soars to grand heights!
Review: Wow.Talk about teenage angst! I will admit, I was initially put off by this strange new Harry.Taunting, seething, repeatedly boiling over with anger ... what happened to the innocent, kind, cheerful hero who I so loved? I guess it's just hard seeing him grow up, knowing he'll one day leave us ...
J.K. Rowling does an excellent job of working our favorite wizard's personal growth as a magician and boy into a stellar plot. Somehow, she skilfully juggles Harry's I'm-slightly-sick- of-being-the world's-savior attitude, along with all the burdens of his burgeoning adolescence.I loved the development of relationships between characters, particularly between Hermione and Ron. Also very glad of the end result with Cho. (No spoilers, don't worry.) My favorite scene in the book was the last one with Dumbledore. FANTASTIC, particularly that last line about responsibility. Professor Umbridge wins my award for the year's most annoying, loathsome villain.
I rather wish Draco had featured more prominently, however. And that rhyme he makes up to jeer at Ron seems somehow beneath his cold, unchildlike character.
The final chapters are so packed that I had to reread them, and will continue to reread them, numerous times.
My primary concern was that the action built almost too quickly at the very end. It was building nicely, evenly, when BANG, all hell breaks loose. Not that I'm complaining; it just left me rather breathless as I sped through the pages at 1:00 AM, with my cup of tea cooling at my side.
I was somewhat disappointed in Snape's characterization, I'll admit. I thought we'd made some progress toward showing he had a heart, in the last book. But this book seems to reverse most of that. Though I'll admit, that scene with the Pensieve made me teary-eyed. Not sure I really WANTED to pity Snape, however ...
I will admit that I was not a huge fan of the other four books. I liked them enough to wait till midnight to buy this edition, but I was never as GaGa as some of my friends. But with this new book, I, too, have joined the legions of Harry fans and consider myself a full-fledged member of D.A. Bring on the next book!
Rating:
Summary: Best Yet
Review: I am not one to get wrapped up in the mania that is Harry Potter, but I would like to be the first to congratulate J.K. Rowling on her accomplishment. In my opinion this is the best book in the Potter series so far. I bought the book on the day of its release and read non stop. I finished the book in three days and can say my only disappointment is that I finished it so quickly instead of savoring it. The dark backdrop to this story is in my opinion the backbone of this story. harry is getting older and and is no longer the one dimensional tragic hero he was in previous stories. He has more depth as a character then in any previous story. The plot of the series is finally coming together and without revealing anything I can tell you it all starts to make sense. I had always enjoyed the series for its deep plotline, but now only is its plot at its peak in this story but it also seems as though J.K.'s writing has matured as well. Congratulations to her on a major accomplishment and I can only hope her 6th and 7th installments are half as good as this one.
Rating:
Summary: Goood
Review: I believe this book is the climax of the series. It may be long, but it's worth it to read it.
Rating:
Summary: The darkest book
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is probably the darkest book of the 5 Harry Potter books out so far. Although at times it was a bit evil, that does not stop it from being a good book. I did have to say though that certain thoughts were incomplete as I read it. Otherwise, I loved this book!
Rating:
Summary: Kept me up for two nights!
Review: I stood in line at our local Borders and got my copy of "Order of the Phoenix" at 12:01am Saturday morning. Despite marching in my college commencement this weekend, I have managed to finish reading "Order of the Phoenix", and I think I'm going to start all over and read it again!This is a fantistic installment in the Harry Potter series. So many new plots twists, so many hints of what is to come. Personally, I loved the many references to things that have happened in previous Harry Potter books. It should definately encourage those people who haven't read the previous books to do so, simply to find out what she is referring to! The 870 simply speed by....and I was completely enraptured by how magnificently JK has fleshed out the characters of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.....but also the supporting cast as well, particularly Sirius and the Weasley family. I would have liked her to flesh out Dumbledore and bit more, but I suppose he is better shrouded in secrecy. If you haven't yet become swept up in the wonderful universe these books create, go pick up a copy of "Sorceror's Stone", and in no time, you'll be finishing "Order of the Phoenix" as well. Bravo, JK......I cannot wait for book Six!!
Rating:
Summary: Repetitive, but exciting
Review: Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts brings another round of adventures. Rowling uses many of the same aspects of the trouble encountered by Harry as in his other years of school, which can get repetitive if you have read the other books in the series, however the adventures are new and exciting, and provide some insight as to why Harry is targeted by Voldemort. Overall this is a worthwhile read, especially for fans of the Harry Potter series.
Rating:
Summary: Rowling shoots and scores again with Order of Phoenix
Review: J.K. Rowling's book was amazing and I'm still in shock at some of the plot twists and turns that could not have been expected. The plot moves so fast that the entire 870 pages flew by in only two short days! Many new characters arise and add immensely to the book. Order of Phoenix keeps the tradition of the other Potter books and is every bit as magnificent. This book is also a lot more "dark" than the rest of the series with questions that remain unanswered until the last few pages. Harry's frustration with his own unanswered questions boils over at times, often at the expense of his own friends. A wonderful book, I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind being glued to a chair for a few days!
Rating:
Summary: Continuing the story...
Review: well, got the book at about 4pm on Saturday, finished it at 4am on Sunday. Phew... it was quite good. Perhaps suffers a bit from the relentless hype machine in the days leading up to the release, but then again, nothing that's ever been hyped that much has ever lived up to it, no matter how good it was. I liked the book, thought it was another excellent installment in a very good series. General story... another year at Hogwarts, and I thought the focus seemed a little more tight than book 4's, with the absence of the TriWizard Tournament. The book does tend to focus more on the overall wizarding world, as opposed to just the local Hogwarts picture, which I enjoyed. All of the favorite characters are back, as well as just about every other thing that JK has ever used in her stories, even if only mentioned in passing. Overall, I think Potter fans will enjoy the latest quite well, and those who just don't get it, will continue to miss it with this book... but then again, isn't that what we love about Harry Potter?
Rating:
Summary: More than just part five of a saga.
Review: I have spent the last three days fighting for "read-time" with my fourteen-year-old daughter for this book. We have been waiting for two years for this book to hit the stores and I am not disappointed. More than just another installment in the life of the wizard we have grown to love, this book offers a glimpse into how human emotions work. The voice of Harry is as authentic as any young person in our muggle world who is struggling to come to terms with authority figures, conflicting emotions, and hopes for the future. As a middle-school teacher, I look forward to hearing what my students have to say to each other about this book. That is always the mark of a great book--when they choose to discuss it amongst themselves. I believe this one qualifies. Although very long, I believe that even struggling readers will plod through the 870 pages to experience the real-life lessons at the safe distance Harry's eyes afford them. This book, in my humble oppinion, could sit alongside TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD in it's treatment of some tough social issues. I am proud that books of this caliber are being written for children today.
|
