Rating: 
Summary: Could have been good...
Review: Written from the point of view of a self-centered teen-age boy, this book leaves the secondary characters even more two-dimensional than the Goblet of Fire. I am sure it will be wonderfully successful, but it does not have the polish of the first three books, nor the depth of exploration of the last book. Half the dialogue could have come from any teen-age angst book. The other half could be interesting, but Harry is too engrossed in his own problems to really empathies and so neither do we. Since it is told from his perspective, we only get to see what he sees, which is not nearly as interesting as what he ignores. Unlike the other books, this one seems to only be targeting the teen audience, instead of being written in layers for everyone. The writing is also getting clumsier. Her foreshadowing stands out like a sore thumb, as though she's afraid we'll miss it. In many places the descriptions fall flat, and there aren't the memorable bits that were the redeeming factor of the last book. I wish she would find an editor not afraid to use the scissors. A wonderful plot is there, but the presentation dulls it nearly beyond recognition.
Rating: 
Summary: Rowling delivers again
Review: Expectations were high for this book. The mystery involved did not fail to dissappoint. As Harry potter himself ages and matures, so does the expectation of Rowling on her readers. This is not a childrens books. It has rather complex emotional situations and some multi faceted plot twists and turns. Overall, I think Rowling has gone in an entirely different direction. Whereas the first books were all rooted in the same message, "Adults should not underestimate their kids". This book conveys the "You want to be treated like an adult, then act like one" message. Read the book and you will see it spelled out in at least a half dozen different ways. I thought the book may be a tad too long just for lengths sake. But you never know what Rowling will pull out of her bag of tricks for books 6 and 7. Suffice it to say that new characters she introduced late in this book may well pop up later on. I will withold judgement until then. To summarize, this is another well told tale about the life and times of Harry Potter. If you've read the others, then this will not let you down. Ir you have not read the others, then you should start there before reading this book. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Perhaps it was the three year wait, but I was disappointed by this book. Although 870 pages, I don't feel like anything significant happens to add to the series. The "big finish" is actually kinda boring. If this had been another book with other characters, it would have been a good read, but I wanted more from Harry Potter. Rowling's style is excellent as always, though. Her portrayal of Potter as an angst-ridden fifteen-year old boy is so accurate that he actually got on my nerves. This is not one I want to reread.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Book...
Review: I just finished the new book and all I can say is that it's EXCELLENT to say the least. What more could you expect from one of the most innovative writers in our time? Beautiful free flowing prose and great storytelling. 5 out of 5 stars!
Rating: 
Summary: A bitter disappointment
Review: OK, take a deep breath, shake off any Confundus Charms on you, draw yourself up bravely like Harry facing Voldemort, and admit the painful truth: "Phoenix" is a bad book. A very bad one. A humorless, lumbering, convoluted, 900-page mess that acts as a combination Crucio and Stupefy spell to Harry's millions of loyal fans. Harry, now 15 and in his fifth year at Hogwarts, is no longer the awestruck 11-year-old from "Sorceror's Stone". He spends most of "Phoenix" alternating between anger, frustration and sullenness, all understandable given his age and the tribulations he's endured. Harry's typically joyless summer with the Dursleys is interrupted by a terrifying visit from a pair of dementors. A mysterious howler arrives for Aunt Petunia, of all people. Soon after, Harry finds himself at the headquarters of the "Order Of The Phoenix", a secret organization of anti-Voldemort witches and wizards working tirelessly to counter the second coming of the Dark Lord. All of this makes for a quite promising start. But, the story bogs down faster than you can say "Avada Kadavra", the wizarding world's Unforgivable death spell than you will soon wish someone would hurl against you to put you out of the misery of having to finish this accursed novel. "Phoenix" has too many new and unnecessary characters (the new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher is particularly dreadful), too many subplots (few of which are adequately resolved), and far, far, far too many chapters. Most Unforgivable of all is the book's wholly unsatisfying ending. Without leaking any spoilers, let's just say it's clear that author J.K. Rowling felt she was under a lot of pressure to get the manuscript finished, and it shows. Loose ends and gaping logical holes abound. There is a dreadful 'deux ex machina' feeling to the climatic battle scene. Many of the mysteries she so tantalizingly introduced in the early chapters are explained away maddingly with the equivalent of a wrist-flick. Rowling's brilliant imagination and narrative gift are still visible in places, but it is as though they are entwined in Devil's Snare. Please do not let Ms. Rowling's legions of apologists sell you that this book isn't as satisfying as its predecessors because it's more subtle, nuanced, or sophisticated. This is nonsense. It is none of the above. It is just plain bad. If the strain on Harry is palpable in this novel, it is ten times so on Rowling. The young British mom, like her famous creation, finds herself at the center of a worldwide storm she inadvertently created, one that must seem to her to have spun out of control. The Harry Potter series is too strong to be derailed by one terrible installment. But, drastic adjustments need to be put in place for Books Six and Seven. For starters, Rowling needs to take as much time as she wants to decompress and write Book Six, and if it requires ten years then so be it. She also needs a dedicated editor or three, a continuity checker, and a publisher with the guts to take a 900-page manuscript from the world's most famous author and send it back with a yellow sticky note saying "Great first draft, JK darling! Now cut it down to 350 pages so we can publish it." Scholastic, are you listening?
Rating:
Summary: now I'm confused
Review: I was all excited for the release of this book, and I think the long-awaited release date may have been a bad thing because it had a lot to live up to. I found that it was an okay book, but nothing kept me intrigued and there was little excitement. I woun't say that it was a horrible book, and I don't regret reading it, but I think it did not meet the standards set by the other books in the series. Sorry if you don't agree w/ me, but that is what I think....everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Rating:
Summary: okay, but three years was not worth the wait
Review: In this installment, Harry again faces issues of growing up and growing as a wizard. The item that negatively jars me the most in this book was the fact that where Harry previously was an upbeat character with a strong support network of friends who strove to overcome the adversity that life through at him in this book he is foul tempered, shrewish and self serving. While it could be argued that it is a natural progression for any teen to feel a variety of emotions and to question authority, I found myself becoming tired of his endless self pity and truculent attitude.
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL!! - Action, with marvelous depth of character
Review: In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling combines action and fun, yet also explores the gray areas of character, with a depth of writing that makes this book the best one yet in the Harry Potter series. In this book, Harry is no longer just an amazing boy on a fantasic adventure. Now he's a teenager, and one with a pretty bad temper too, because even though he's been through terrible battles and adventures and seen death first-hand, he's kept out of the Voldemort-battling Order of the Phoenix simply because of his age---in other words, he's still being treated like a child. Back at Hogwarts, he has to learn to deal with being viciously slandered, while his friends get all kinds of positive rewards. And while suffering under the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher (who also serves as the new Hogwarts High Inquisitor) Harry learns a terrible secret about the past of Professor Snape. This secret not only forces Harry to face some very unpleasant personal truths, but indirectly puts his life in great danger. In interviews given before the publication of the book, Rowling let it be known that a major character would die. Knowing this beforehand is not a "spoiler" but rather adds to the experience of reading the book: Rowling skillfully weaves several storylines that lead the reader to believe that this or that character is indeed THE ONE. Yet when the event does occur, it brings home the point that Harry himself is trying to make to his friends, which is that the danger around them is real and that they must be fully prepared to face it. By the book's end, we are given a preview of Harry's eventual fate---the fate that will be explored in the final two books. For sheer reading pleasure, action, suspense, and Harry's own personal growth, struggles and grief, this is a must-read book---truly the best in an absolutely wonderful series.
Rating:
Summary: Order of the Phoenix
Review: Arguably her best work to date. The book is a nonstop read. Rowling aptly depicts the attitudes and actions of the 15-year old mind while weaving an exciting story. This book, like the main character Harry is a bit more somber than previous titles in the series: It paints the world in more than black and white, there are many shades of gray. And we learn that no one in the book is above making mistakes (much like real life). There are also a few revelations in this book that will lead to an unexpected climax of the series in the upcoming volumes. This is definitely a must read for adolescents and anyone who ever was an adolescent. It is an excellent read and superb reflection of the mind teetering between childhood and adulthood. The only negative comment I can make is Ms. Rowling's continued use of the word(?) "Er" in her dialog. But like I said earlier, this book shows that no one is perfect.
Rating: 
Summary: Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix
Review: This book was wonderful as I fully expected!! J.K.Rowling has done it again.This book kept me up till all hours of the night until I finished it.I can Hardly wait for Book 6.It was much different than the previous years at Hogwarts.Harry is very sulled up this year.Alot of questions are finally answered in this book.It also gives great insight as to what to expect in the last 2 books coming up for this series.This book was worth the wait & it's going to be very hard to wait until the next book finally comes out!!
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