Rating: 
Summary: WOW!!!!
Review: ...I finished the book in three days and i might say i was really sore from sitting around all day and reading it. but it was worth it!!! if is the best book so far in the series. harry sure gets alot to deal with. but being ban from quidditch, wow, i hope he can play next year. and i loved it when fred and george left school. i really hate umbridge. ...
Rating:
Summary: What fans of the Harry Potter Series were waiting for
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix did exactly what is set out to do. It lived up to the previous books and is a fitting next step in the series. It is an amazing coming of age story and it gives the reader a view of the emotions of a 15-year-old. As in her previous books, Rowling is able to capture the emotions of children and the attention of readers at the same time. Throughout the book questions are constantly arising in the mind or the reader and some are answered while many remain. This open-endedness is what leaves readers waiting for the next book, however often readers may find themselves wishing for the answers which Rowling does not provide.
At times reading it feels like a mental rollercoaster, your perception of things is constantly changing and then changing back. All of Rowling's techniques however are the same as in her previous books leaving fans of the series content. This book seems to be exactly what fans of Rowling's work were waiting for.
Rating: 
Summary: A transitional stage
Review: Reading the first three chapters standing in the checkout line, the first thought was: "Starts with a BANG, this one does!". The pace slows somewhat until the final setpiece, but there are no detours like the Death Day party in "Chamber of Secrets".Harry shows his best and his worst in this book. The temper of a teenager along with the move to a role of stronger leadership at Hogwarts make Harry somehow closer to real. Some of the other characters, espcially Neville and Ginny, grow up tremendously in this one. Nitpicking..Some of the characters seem one-dimensional, perhaps because there are so many new names and faces. The Death Eaters, with a few notable exceptions, don't seem too competent. More Quidditch !
There's still many unresolved issues. For whom is Snape a double agent ? Will Malfoy ever learn the Hogwarts Express is not the place to attack Harry ? Cho ? Ginny ? Susan ? Ron ? Hermione ? Who's the next DADA teacher ? And at the end, the biggest question: "When's book 6 coming out?"
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter 5 - worth the wait?
Review: Yes - it was worth the wait! However, I have just finished the mammoth task of reading about Harry Potter's latest adventure and I must admit that I'm sure I fly in the face of popular opinion when I say although I enjoyed the read it has left me curiously disappointed. The book is exceptionally well written and, in parts, riveting but in other parts I seemed to lose focus and I can't help but think that it could have been made shorter with no discernable impact on the storyline. It started with a bang, then fizzled out a bit - picking up momentum on Harry's return to Hogwart's. I'm not sure what I expected but I think that's probably the problem - after 4 books we feel as if we know Harry and his acquaintances intimately and everyone will have some expectations of this latest book. There wasn't the same element of intrigue this time round and, unlike other reviewers on different web sites, I didn't cry when the much talked about death occurred! The book is still a very enjoyable read and I look forward to the final 2 instalments!
Rating: 
Summary: Huge Hype, Big Disappointment
Review: Fisrt, let it be said that I am a Huge Fan of the previous four books in the Harry Potter series and also enjoyed the movies as well.
With that statement out of the way, Ms. Rowling's new installment in the Harry Potter series feels hastily written and disjointed.
The author completely changes the characters and their personalities in this novel. I no longer feel as if the main characters (Harry, Ron and Hermione) are best of friends and willing to do whatever it takes to keep it that way. In Fact, most of the personalities of our well known, previously introduced characters disappoint. This cannot be explained as a result of the circumstances of the storyline, but rather it feels as Ms. Rowling has just lost touch with her characters.
It also feels as if the author was just making up plot devices as she went along and was just not careful enough to tie them together nicely... everything feels very contrived and false. Another problem is that there is no strong antagonist. Unlike the other novels, Harry is not constantly searching for something or battling something directly. He seems to travel haphazardly through the main plot just "fuming" at everything and showing very little of the character that he had in the first 4 books. The reader is not even remotely engaged with the book because there is little action going on, causing the entire book to drag on. I could go on and on, as there are so many problems large and small within this installment, but I will leave it to other readers to add to this or refute with their own version. I give it 2 stars only because the first 1/3rd of the book was pretty captivating.
Just know that, as an educator, if a student had turned in this work in class she would have recieved a failing mark by me.
Rating:
Summary: Best one yet
Review: Absolutely my favorite one yet. But the book has been out for four days. Surely this can't be the first review?
Rating:
Summary: Missing a Few Things
Review: Normally, I would give a rating of 5 stars to a Harry Potter book. However, after all the hype the book received, I was a bit disappointed. For one, many teasers for the book have hinted at a death. I expected to be bawling about this event for hours. I will not give anything away, but I personally had not made any special connection to this particular character. Others may have, so this may not be a point of disappointment for all readers. I was also expecting much more death in the book than actually happened, though I am sure there is more to come. I am also finding the J.K. Rowling is taking longer and longer to get to the point. Given the main points of action and details included, the book could have been a lot shorter. This could easily be compared to "The Stand" by Stephen King. The characters take a long and mainly uneventful journey then something huge happens at the end. There are a few major things that happen plus the end, but to me it felt like the book was an endless "Day in the Life." However, this book was not all bad. The story was VERY well told, and Rowling does an excellent job of bringing what seemed to be minor details from previous novels into the main storyline. I had to make references back to previous novels! She is also rounding out her characters. At first I felt a hint that there may have been some influence from actors playing the characters in the movies, but I began to realize that we are just seeing them develop further. We are beginning to see sides of characters that we have never seen - or expected to see - before. I think that one of the reasons I have found the book "slightly" disappointing is because it is hard to remember there is still more to come in this saga. thsi is not a bad thing. It just means that Rowling had to leave some things out or she wouldn't have two more books coming. The story is not yet complete, and I know Rowling will work her magic in the next two books to make this a completely satisfying epic.
Rating:
Summary: Can't wait for the next one!!!
Review: Harry is growing up and this adds a whole new dimension to the series. Always a rebel he now finds himself questioning even his greatest heroes. Harry's battles, both internal and external, will connect with readers young and old. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good adventure story and roots for the good guy. It has lots of funny moments to keep it from being too dark and is a great read. Loved it!!
Rating:
Summary: I can't wait for year 6!
Review: It was a good read - I read it all in one night! This one isn't for the youngest HP fans. Some of the favorite characters aren't acting like themselves even Harry. There are reasons for this and they do come out in the story. Harry seems to suffer more dissapointments throughout the story, it's not as "happy" as some of the others have been. Much more of the complete storyline becomes clearer in this book. You find out things that you always wondered about, why Harry has to stay at the Dursleys, more of the connection between him and Voldemort and lots more. In the end it still leaves you wanting to pick up the next installment right away. I hope we don't have to wait as long for the next book! Bring on year 6!
Rating:
Summary: Worth the wait...
Review: Talk about realism in young adult fiction! Ms. Rowling has captured the angst & confusion of those first awful years of hormones!
I did enjoy this-- there's no attempt made to sugar-coat life or experiences here. Ms. Rowling is not afraid to explore some of the less pleasant occurances in most adolescents' lives-- awkwardness & confusion about the opposite sex; adults who excercise dictatorial powers over students just 'cause they can; adults trying to deal with serious events without sitting down & giving real information to 'the children' who are not exactly children anymore; etc.
Younger (say under age 11) children may not enjoy this book at the moment, but the teen audience should be able to identify well with the tummalt of emotions presented in this book.
The plot development here gives Ms. Rowlings many different ways to go in the next 2 books of the series. Now just waiting for the next installment.... Another great book for the series!
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