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Summary: Rowling Delivers Another Masterpiece
Review: In the fifth installment of the popular Harry Potter series, Harry finds himself anxious and ever-vigilant, for Lord Voldemort has returned at last and seeks to start a new way the same way the last one ended -- by attempting to kill Harry...J.K. Rowling's fifth book is full of action, suspense, and a sense of urgency, as Voldemort grows more and more powerful. Like her previous books, Order of the Phoenix is chock full of wit, laugh-out-loud moments, and a plethora of new magical creatures, spells, and gadgets to keep you entertained for hours. The only disappointment is the realization that you'll have to wait for the next book.
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Summary: This book was great...
Review: * NO SPOILERS!! *I just finished book 5, and I must say JK has not missed a beat from the big conclusion of book 4. I found the book progressed logically from both a story standpoint (the Dark Lord has returned, evilness is bound to ensue) and a character standpoint (Ron Harry & Hermione are all enduring those tough teenage years where things just don't make sense). Earlier reviews have complained that the series has lost much of its humor in Order of the Phoenix - they couldn't be more right, this is not a happy fun-filled story. I totally agree with JK Rowling writing it that way however. It's a much more serious tone all throughout as all the characters involved are now dealing with much more serious and dangerous situations now. Without going into details, I can only say that I thoroughly enjoyed this, is well worth the cost, reads extremely fast, and will probably be read again soon by me.
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Summary: Harry Potter Teen Angst!
Review: Well, there is no question that the latest insatllment in the Harry Potter series was a very good read indeed. Full of all the action, excitement and fabulous description of Harry's magical world that we've come to expect from J.K. Rowling. However, Book 5 was a little thin on humor, and not nearly as chock full of astounding revelations as the publisher has led fans to believe. Dumbledore's revelation that he would finally tell Harry what he should have told him a long time ago... that is "everthing", is simply a rehash of "revelations" that have already been heavily implied and/or discovered outright in the previous books. This is not in any way, shape or form a complaint about the book, just an observation that "revelations" concerning major plot points should be just that... REVELATIONS. Also, Harry's headlong dive into teen angst became a little tiresome as the book progressed. I altrenated between feeling bad for the guy, and simply wanting to slap him. I guess you have to give the kid a mulligan though, he has had it bit rough these past couple of years what with The Dark Lord, basilisks, Malfoy and the like. All this to say, that it was a great read, and I can't wait to dive into Ms. Rowling's next go... in I'm guessing 2006 or so?
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Summary: A Brilliant and Emotionally Difficult Novel (Adult Review)
Review: Innocence blooms but for a short period of time. One day, a child wakes up and realizes that their mentors are not perfect and the world can be a cruel place. Such revelations are jarring, but essential. This is the emotional backdrop of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". J.K. Rowling's fifth installment in the Harry Potter series is in many ways so different from those that came before it that it took me time adjust. The first 300 pages were filled with the anger of Harry Potter; a rage built on the injustices and torments of a terrifying life. Although a part of me preferred the Harry Potter that coped effortlessly with tragedies in his past, a larger part of me knew this anger must happen for the character to remain human. A boy that had experienced the horror's of Harry's life would ask the question, "Why me?" There is no answer. Life happens as well or as poorly as it wishes. However, as with most children, they begin to cope with their disillusionment and find happiness in a larger, more complex world. Ms. Rowling captures the story of Harry's emergence into adulthood with extraordinary skill. She has the great talent of being pitch perfect when tuning her character's thoughts and feelings. Every emotional note feels right. As for plot, Ms. Rowling adheres to the action-adventure / mystery structure with a great battle of good vs. evil and the telling of the solution to the mystery at the very end. Unfortunately, the revelation as to the identity of the "secret weapon" fell slightly flat for me. I do not want to give the "secret weapon" away, so I will not discuss this further. I will say, however, that I understand why Ms. Rowling did this, and it illustrates the point that the stories are not only about powerful magical spells or sorcerer's stones. The "secret weapon" illustrates that the stories are about characters coping with the hard tasks of life and succeeding. On the whole, I found "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to be teaming with imagination and surprises that made it impossible to put down. Its seriousness and humanity drew me willingly into its depths. As an aside, I do marvel at Ms. Rowling's writing. It is so clear and crisp; each word chosen precisely to fit each situation. It is a lesson to all of us would-be amature writers. Take time to understand the difference between synonyms. Each word has its own connotations from history in ancient or modern times. Selecting the best words makes a big difference. Thank you, Ms. Rowling, I thoroughly enjoyed "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".
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Summary: Back to the wonderful world of witchcraft and wizardry...
Review: J.K. Rowlings continues to out do herself with the latest book in this wonderful series. She adds to the continuing saga not only more wonderful characters, like the horrific Umbridge, and the strange Luna "Loony" Lovegood; but more complete heartfelt emotion. As you read the great storyline, you can feel the pangs of teen angst, and for those of us who are no longer teens, you can truly remember what it felt like, and acknowledge how much worse it must be for a boy like Harry Potter, who is not really just a boy, but a hero. The suprising twists and turns and the prophecy at the end makes to unbearable to put the book down. Back to waiting yet again for the next installment! Well done, Ms. Rowling! It keeps getting better...
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Summary: Slow to start, but once it gets going hold onto your hats...
Review: I'll try to avoid any spoilers. The book suffers from the same thing that Attack of the Clones did. It gets off to a slow start, but once it gets going hold onto your hats. It is really dark in the beginning and everyone was miserable and fighting. We all knew it was going to be a dark book, but I think it was overdone. With the next two supposed to get even darker, I can't help but wonder if Rowling is about to alienate her audience who don't want their children reading it. Is there a PG-13 or R rating coming up for future movies? The "Final battle" is absolutely amazing. I couldn't put it down for the last 150 pages or so. Rowling out did herself with that. Her writing, from the start of the book just keeps getting better and better. There are a lot of plot twists that you never would have guessed. I just wish the first half of the book was as intriguing (and interesting) as the last.
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Summary: harry just keep's getting better every year
Review: Amazing siply Amazing!!! this is by far the best book in the series yet! filled with terror and suspense. the book gives us great amounts of information about harry potter and voldermorts past! Harry gets a taste of relationships and yes someone greatly loved dies in the book. we finally get to see the power of dumbledore!!! this is a must have for harry potter fans all over the world! buy it for the love of god buy it!
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Summary: Incredible
Review: The 5th installment in the Harry Potter series is incredible. There are no better words to describe it! Don't bother waiting for it to come out in paperback. It's well worth the extra cash.
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Summary: Worth the wait, but...
Review: This is another page turner; I read it almost non-stop. As always, the story is excellent and the characters are well painted. However, it is very long, and I think it could have been trimmed a little to maintain a better pace. Harry is now a real teenager, and has lost his innocent charm. It would not be realistic to play down his growing up, but there is no longer a sense of wonder and delight at sharing Harry's discoveries. There is a serious purpose to his studies, and this creates a very dark mood. Much older themes are dealt with than previously, especially dangerously inept authorities, and how nobody is entirely good or evil (except Voldemort and the Malfoys of course). I would not recommend this for anyone under 11, not because of sexual or violent content, but for concepts that require more experience of life than younger readers will have.
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Summary: Amazing.
Review: OotP is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest children's books ever written. Aside from the fact that this is a long-awaited addition to a series that I adore, the fifth Harry Potter book is well-written, imaginative and, at times, absolutely terrifying. Rowling's greatest achievement is that she can write for children without patronizing them and without alienating adults. She is writing about a war, and there is no way to avoid that. She doesn't sugarcoat the pain and fear in her book, and she isn't one of those authors who tells us her characters are getting older but writes them the same way she always has. Harry and his friends are moody, hormonal teenagers going through some very difficult times. That isn't to say there isn't humor in this book, the unstoppable Weasley twins rise to a new level of scheming and provide wonderful moments of comic relief. The tone of the book, however, is darker than that of the previous four and that only serves to make the book more honest, more powerful, and a better indication of the skills of one of my favorite authors.
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