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Summary: Harry Potter at its Finest
Review: Once again J.K. Rowling has done it. Melding a world of fantasy, in which dragons and quiditch are common place,with the hardships of being a teenager. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is as much as story of adolescent growth as it is an exciting adventure in which Harry must face obstacles ranging from giants to a terrible witch whose sole mission seems to be Harry's life miserable (possibly even more than Snape). Unlike some of her previous books the action begins almost immidiately as Harry finds that someone will stop at nothing to have him killed. From this point on Harry finds himself struggling against almost insurmountable odds as he aids in the fight against Voldemort, convincing the world he is sane, and of course preparing for the dreaded O.W.L. exams. While this book heralds the introduction of many characters sure to become instantly adored, it also brings back everyones favorites such as Remus Lupin (Harry's third year defense against the dark arts proffesor who is also a wearwolf), Sirius Black (a wrongly accused escapee of Azkaban as well as Harry's grandfather). and Mad Eye Moody (a touchy ex-Auror) to name a few. One of the cooler new characters known as Tonks has the ability to change her apperance at will and has a pensient for changing hair colors quite frequently to the delight of all. This year at Hogwarts Harry is very hormonal as my 13 year old brother described it and tends to be angry quite a bit. This may seem very familar to many of you. While Harry's innability to control his temper is annoying at first he soon is able to get it under control and becomes the lovable young wizard we all adore. Alogn these lines, Harry also has a chance to explore his love life as his pursuits of Cho Chang (a 6th year Ravenclaw girl) bear some fruit. Don't think for one second however that the book is all Harry growing up because it is one of the greatest mixes of intrigue and suspense I have ever seen in a book supposedly written for children. The whole book will keep you at the edge of your seat begging for more and thirsty to find out what comes next, only to lead you to a conclusion that is both mind blowing and fullfilling. The book is not a big cliffhanger but rather a complete story that does more than its part to aid to the entire Harry Potter universe. This book is for all ages, young and old. The metaphors and writing style are both easy to understand and relate to. Additionally there are quite a few points in the book that will have you on the floor laughing. Most notably the Weasely twins steal the show in this respect. So if you havn't read the other Harry Potter books get to it because they only seem to be getting better and better. Happy Reading.
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Summary: wonderful book
Review: This is a wonderful book and I would encourage anyone to read it.
Rating:
Summary: A little different from the rest, but still awesome!!
Review: Like everyone else, I got my hands on this book as soon as I could. I read it over the weekend...all 870 pages of it. The book itself is a little different from the rest, a little darker and more mature. But of course, Harry is older, so why shouldn't it be? Througout the novel, Harry always seems angry and misunderstood, much like teenagers. Reading it, the reader feels just as overwhelmed as Harry with all the problems he is dealing with. When I say dark, I don't mean never a happy moment, always trouble, never a light at the end of the tunnel. Its darker compared to books 1-3. Trouble starts from the begining, the first week of the term takes up about 1/3 of the book. I wouldn't say it is much darker than book 4, but the ending seems as though Rowling left herself alot of room to make it darker. People should have been expecting it though, Voldemort is back...expecting a bright and happy novel is just...Anyway, don't let the length deter you, you will speed through it as though it were only 80 pages. Rowling's words are rich and descriptive, as so many of us have experienced with the previous book. To sum it up: Awesome book...perhaps my favorite.
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Summary: GREAT BOOK
Review: Wow, this book is amazing and well worth the wait. So many unexpected events happen and it's hard writing a review without spoiling the surprise for you. Just read the book!
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Summary: The best of all five!
Review: I just finished this book about an hour ago (I got it the day it came out) and it was wonderful. The character devolpment is the best so far! Everything is much more realistic!It's Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts and he's spends half of his summer miserable. Midsummer he is taken to meet the Order and spends the summer with the Weasley's, sort of. Percy has... er- run off. We remeet Sirius and Lupin. A horrid new teacher arrives for DADA. The Ministry takes its powers too far, and not many people believe Voldie is back. Harry suffers a terrible lose (and no- it's not Ron). The twins get the ultimate revenge on a horrid teacher. And life is totally flipped upsided down for Hogwarts, and especially for Harry. This book helps portray Harry's budding ability of sympathy and understanding that some people are more complex than merely good or bad. The best of all five! Keep it up Ms. Rowling (and please don't take so long with the next one!)
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Summary: Harry Potter's New Temper
Review: After reading this book I have to say that it has a much different feel than the other four books. The title of the book (The Order of the Phoenix) is well developed in the book, as well as a certain characteristic of Harry. In this book Harry's developing character has certainly made some changes. He is no longer the poor, innocent little boy from his first year at Hogwarts. Despite his growth there is an aspect which seems a little uncharacteristic of this growing Harry- most notably his uneven temper that often seems to come between him and his two closest friends' Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He seems to lash out on several occasions in the book that you would not have expected in the last four books. Despite this change however the book is very well written and the characters all seem to still be there in the same force. The book does tend to become slow at times, but other than that it is a wonderful book that tells about Harry's 5th year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardary. The anticipation through out the book comes together in the end as a certain truth (you'll have to read the book to find out this one!) is revealed which leaves us with many questions and even a great cliffhanger for the next installment in this wonderful series. This book was a wonderful read and was even impossible to put down. I just can't wait for what J.K. Rowling will come up with next!
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Summary: OoTP is worth every second of the 3 days it took to read!!!
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has been awaited for an extremely long time, and it is quite obvious why. J.K. Rowling has managed to make, yet again, another perfect book. Although many people argue that one of the book's flaws is the extreme number of pages (870), I find that I wish it could have been longer. This book is definitely darker and not as bright as the other ones. Before even reading this, you can tell by the less colorful and darker book cover, which reflects the mood of the book. Although this book is dark and scarier, I did find myself laughing at some points. But more than that, I couldn't put it down for three days straight, because I needed to know what was going to happen. As a huge Harry Potter fan who spent some of her time on fan sites, trying to predict parts of the book, I find that I am immensely happy with it. Even if you aren't a Harry Potter fan, I HIGHLY recommend this book, because it was just amazing. If you are a fan, be happy to know that this fifth book is just as incredible, if not more so, than the four before it!!
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Summary: The best book yet
Review: Not being into stories about magic and wizards, I only read the Harry Potter books to keep up with the interests of my 10-year-old son. I've always thought they are well-written and interesting, even though they aren't my kind of book in general. But J.K. Rowling makes this *everyone's* kind of book, by creating characters whom we really care about. Harry is perhaps more flawed than ever in book 5, yet his essential goodness shines through. The plot is fairly unpredictable, and Dumbledore explains a few mysteries in the end. It's well-worth reading.
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Summary: Set the Pace
Review: The pace of the 5th book is held to standard. Even with all the coverage of the book's length, didn't come off slow. The story has such emotional realism to his age (if we discount all the magic surrounding him), not making him into a child protégé of self control. It was easy to have sympathy for him and the ones surrounding him is this book. Does love blind? The story explores the question from so many angles. But does hate blind as well? Think about it as you read. This book is one of Rowling's better.
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Summary: Harry's Tale Grows Darker Still... (spoiler free!)
Review: I finished this one yesterday, after a couple marathon days of reading. I have enjoyed all of the books in the series, with Goblet of Fire (#4) standing as my favorite until now. I'm still not sure if Order of the Phoenix tops it, I'll have to read it again to be sure. One thing is certain, though... Harry is growing up. This book is the darkest of the series to date. It begins darkly, and stays dark throughout, with a few lifts of humour here and there. Overall, though, it doesn't have nearly the levity of the others in the series. Of course, considering the events currently taking place in Potter's world, this should come as no surprise to Rowling's readers. Rowling does a great job of balancing character and plot development, and she gives plenty more detail on life in the wizarding world, for those of us who love the fantastic elements of these stories. And with Harry and his classmates sitting for the O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) exams this term, there's plenty of opportunity to learn more about the subjects they study and the career paths open to them when they've finished their tutelage at Hogwarts. There's much to be learned here too--and not just for the millions of underage Potter fans. Characters in Order of the Phoenix wrestle with frustration, anxiety, injustice and human frailty to a greater extent than Rowling has so far explored. They don't always respond in constructive ways, and they don't always triumph. Whether you are reading this as a family or on your own, it may lead you to examine your own responses to such issues as injustice, disillusionment, frustration, anger--and heaven knows, we can all profit from a bit of self-examination. Character and plot development is quite a bit thicker in Order of the Phoenix , and you'll have to pay a bit of close attention to who's who and who's where and why if you want to keep up with the plot twists, but it provides wonderful opportunities for the story to keep spinning through the next two installments. I was (as I always am) sad when summer break began. And I'm sadder still that I have to wait for the next one to find out how Harry and the rest fared on their exams. :) Hope the sixth installment doesn't take as long to arrive as Order of the Pheonix did! All in all, Rowling is brilliant, really, and I never tire of her characters. I suppose I'll just have to start over from Sorcerer's Stone and read them through again while I wait! Enjoy! cheers,
Tamara
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