Rating: 
Summary: A generous helping of the old the Potter magic, but...
Review: It seems strange to say it, given how long we have all waited for the book, but this volume in the series seems to be the most carelessly written and the most unsatisfying yet. For those who loved the first books, I can say that nearly all will also greatly enjoy this one. I did. The sense of magic, wonder, and innocence are all still there. Harry's goodness and courage are evident, in spite of unsupportive friends, conniving enemies, are evident. Evil and hatred are portrayed with frightening verisimilitude. But there were several things that disappointed me.First, the book's size. One could easily have cut 200 pages without losing anything... Second, despite the ample page count, several plot points are introduced and then disappointingly dropped: the [it's been] noted Harry is much more volatile in this book, yet nowhere do we see Harry struggle with shame or incomprehension at these new feelings, which I well remember having myself when I was his age. Hermoine continues her S.P.E.W. campaign, by knitting clothes for the elves, but for what? Why did the Occolumens lessons make things worse rather than better? ... Most frustrating to me, however, is when Harry gains great insight into the cause of Snape's antipathy towards him, he has an opportunity show understanding and compassion... The ending left me feeling hollow. In all the other books, through his courage and goodness, though at great cost, Harry always saves the day... The final "revelation" in the book, having to do with Harry's destiny viz. Voldemort will surprise no avid reader, and I fail to see, if Harry had known this before he took his fateful decision, how it would have changed Harry's decision, which was influenced by his strong feelings for someone else entirely. Harry does finally understand why he must endure two miserable months with the Dursley's every summer. But we poor Muggles are facing a much longer slog as we eagerly await the commencement of Hogwarts Year Six.
Rating:
Summary: Very very good but¿.
Review: Let me just say that I really did enjoy this book. I spent the weekend doing little else but reading this 870 tome and loved every minute. There were some people complaining about the length of this book, saying that much like the previous Potter book. I do not believe that shorting the story would have made it better in any way, shape or form. I enjoy the way Rowling slips in jokes and sub-plots to the main story. The characters all breathe and they all behave as if they have a unique history and lives outside of these pages. The students and teachers are continuously true to life and you end up either caring deeply for them or hating them passionately. Her writing creates a rich image of the strange and wonderful world of magic her characters dwell in. That said there is much to love in this book. Two new characters are introduced, Luna Lovegood a slightly strange girl from Ravenclaw and the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Umbridge. Professor Umbridge is a wonderful person to hate and Rowling does not spare any ink making we do hate her. Harry is definitely growing up and it is a painful experience for himself and for those around him as well. Gone is the sense of wonder about the magical world and in its place anger, frustration and resentment. I was pleased to Rowling expand a few minor characters, particularly Jenny Weesly and Nevil Longbottom. She works hard to flesh these characters out and giving them a larger roles and to play in the story line. I will confess I am a fan of Longbottom, while I usually don't admit to it, I was very much like him at that age. That said I must also say that this is, in my opinion, the weakest book in her series.
There is very little new in the way of magic or the lifestyle of the inhabitants of Rowling's world until the end during the climactic fight scene, however the objects and ideas there are merely there as backdrops and their workings left unexplained or even well explored. Also missing was much of the sense of fun and adventure. I realize this is becoming an increasingly serious story line I do miss the sense of fun the first four books presented. All through the book I had the continuing feeling I had read this book before. The story formula has remained unchanged since the first book, the plot reads out the same in each book and to tell the truth it is getting a bit threadbare. Harry potter is abused/neglected by his boorish non-magical relatives the Dursleys. Harry thinks that his friends have abandoned him to this fate for the summer and feels sorry form himself. A rescue from said boorish relatives by members of the magical community springs Harry to a more pleasant summer vacation. Harry goes off to school where he is immediately branded an outcast by his fellow students. Rumors about Harry being either mentally unsound or actively destructive abound. Only Harry's two best friends, Ron and Hermione, continue to accept and understand him. Harry worries about quidditch. Harry falls behind in his school work. Draco Malfoy works hard to make Harry's life miserable. One of the Professors at school has it in for Harry. There is an elaborate plot by Lord Valdemort and both Harry and his school are in danger. The teachers at Harry's school could solve a lot of Harry's problems if they would just have an honest talk with him but they choose to remain silent. Harry and company could resolve their problems if they would just have an honest talk with their teachers but they choose not to. Harry and his friends go off to defeat Lord Voldemort and save the day. A pitched battle with Lord Voldemort takes place and Harry comes close to loosing but doesn't. The Schools Headmaster takes Harry aside and explains things to Harry. Everyone at school loves Harry and feels very bad they mistrusted him. Rowling let it be known early on that one of the main characters will die in this book. While I will not reveal just who does die I will admit my guess was incorrect. Rowling does a rather good job in giving false clues to this event throughout the story. I remember vividly reading the death of Cedric Diggory the 4th book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and feeling a great deal of shock and anger and surprise. Given the fact that Cedric had played a rather small part in the Goblet of Fire and I believe was only briefly mentioned in an earlier book I was hit rather hard by his death. This time when the foretold death occurred I felt no real emotion about it. Despite the fact it was a major character I really didn't feel very bad about it. The death happen late in the book and I am not sure why it needed to be included at all. The death of Cedric marked an end to the innocence of the series and prompted many questions about morality and Harry's part in Cedrick's death but this latest death seems to be there simply to remind people that characters in this world can and do die. I highly recommend the Order of the Phoenix and will likely reread it again soon but I hope Rowling pulls out fresher material for the next installment.
Rating: 
Summary: AWESOME BOOK!
Review: This was an incredible book! One of the best Harry Potter books, I was unable to put it down. I finished the book, all 870 pages, in less than two days. The ending was pretty depressing, and I cried when I read it, but the book was great! I highly recommend the entire Harry Potter series.
Rating: 
Summary: hmmm... pretty good
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix was pretty good (as all harry potter books are, but i don't think it was as well written as the other 4 (e.g. the plot was a little less complex). I also thought Harry's temper tantrums were a little weird; i think she was trying to make him seem older and frustrated... but it didn't come out that way. There were highlights, though, like Fred and George (but i won't spoil the story). STill, well worth a read!
Rating:
Summary: Better, darker, more engaging
Review: J. K. Rowling has a good thing going. Although daunting in size, book 5 in the wonderful Harry Potter series is an easy read--between Rowling's easy-going style and intruiging plot, you won't want to put it down. The Order of the Phonix, while longer than book 4 (Goblet of Fire), it doesn't drag or dwell too much on events not really central to the plot. You will need to have read all four of the previous books to really understand everything that is going on--Rowling spends almost no time explaining things found in other books. Beware, however. This book is much darker than any yet--it is truly a battle between good and evil (and indifference). As if to drive home evil nature of Voldemort, we watch as another character dies in this one; this time its one who we have come to know through the previous books. All in all, a great read. Highly recommended for Muggles and Wizards alike.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific story, terrifically long!
Review: Like many people, I eagerly awaited the 5th Harry Potter novel and read it cover to cover as soon as I got it. However, as much as I'd like to say it, I can't honestly say this one kept my attention quite as well as the previous books. Yes, it's a wonderful story, with all sorts of interesting new characters--my favorite was the dreamy-eyed Luna Lovegood, new challenges, and intriguing twists in the plot. But I'm afraid I wearied quickly of the "toad-ally" despicable Professor Umbridge (maybe because her "Educational Decrees" remind me too much of government interference in my own teaching position!!) and eventually became impatient with Harry's moodiness. Even Hagrid's stubbornness in his devotion to his dangerous "pets" (and you're in for a real surprise here!!) can get rather old after awhile! Yes, Harry's defiance and mistrust of adults is very true-to-life, but it's as exasperating in a novel as it is in a living teeanager! The climax is definitely up to the standards Rowling set in her previous books and readers must be certain to set aside plenty of time to read the last 150 or so pages in one setting, because they won't want to stop! Will I reread this installation multiple times, as I have the previous ones? I doubt it, except perhaps in the month or so prior to the release of "Harry 6" in order to refresh my mind on all that's happened. Harry Potter fans won't be disappointed, but they are going to have to be patient with this one for the rewards which are still here to be found. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Disenchanting Magic
Review: For a series as stunning as the Harry Potter series, the fifth installment seems to be J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The charm of the first four novels is not evident within a boring, disenchanting first chapter. Rowling's flow seems off, and unfortunately, this was the doomsday for this book. After a long wait for this book, the first chapter wasn't worth the wait. The book isn't worth my time.
Rating:
Summary: Harry hits teenagerhood
Review: In the fifth Harry Potter, we see a character older children can really identify with. In this book, Harry is mad. He feels abandoned by his friends, his classmates, and even his headmaster. People are spreading gossip about his fight with Lord Voldemort, and there is a move on to discredit Dumbledore and Hagrid. This would all be bad enough, but Harry also has dastardly new characters to cope with, disturbing dreams, and another battle between good and evil ahead. The angry Harry is good to see. In this book he shows the type of behavior we expect to see from a teenager who is being kept in the dark. No longer the "gee whiz, I can do magic" young child, Harry is starting to show his own will and question the judgement of his elders. This book is much darker in many ways than the previous ones, mainly because Harry is in such a bad situation. Rowling shows again her tremendous understanding of the mind of a boy of Harry's age, and this makes his character both more tragic and more interesting than he has ever been before. Unputdownable!
For parents of younger children, The Order of the Phoenix is less heart-poundingly scary than the fourth book. The overall feeling is grimmer, though, and you should be prepared for some distress over how frustrated Harry becomes.
Rating:
Summary: Rowling Does it Again!
Review: I finished this one within a few short days of buying it, and I must say that Rowling has done it again. She has created a masterpiece that should not disapoint readers. The plot rolls along smoothly, revealing secrets previously untold and leading a careful reader to note that there simply must be more to come. Certain elements of the plot may have been hinted to in interviews, but they certainly were not predicatable to this reader. One word of caution for parents of smaller children: This is a darker Harry Potter. For children who have been reading the Potter series for several years (not to mention waiting three years for this release), this shouldn't be an issue. For younger children, it might be a tad too dark.
Rating:
Summary: Order of the Phoenix
Review: I highly recommend this book, especially if you already read the first 4. It is more of the same riveting story about Harry Potter and the return of Lord Voldemort. I read it in a day and a half and just want more!! Cannot wait until the 6th book.
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