Rating: 
Summary: Recommended, with Reservations
Review: To me, the first three books of the series are truly magical. Book 4 was interesting and produced a sharp turn in tone that was probably required to keep the series moving to the end. However, I'm afraid that the execution against that change in tone might be difficult to pull off as well as Ms Rowling did in the beginning of the series.If you've read the first four books, I think Book 5 in the series is worthwhile to pick up. I very much enjoyed it. But it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. My nits: 1. There's much less "freshness" to the magical world -- where I spent the first 3 books surprised by the extent of Ms Rowling's imagination, the last 2 books haven't charmed me the same way. 2. Harry is a bratty teenager. This is probably very realistic, since emotions are crazy at age 15, but it's not as fun to read as the charmer at age 11. 3. There is a lack of development of other characters, e.g. Dumbledore. He's supposed to be brilliant, powerful and wise. It really doesn't feel that way in this book, which detracts again from the magic spell that we had in the earlier series. Others such as Umbridge and Sirius fall under this category as well. (I did enjoy every moment with Ron and Hermione however). 4. Most importantly: lack of editing for plot. I am not at all complaining about the 870 pages of writing. It let me stay in the world of Hogwarts for a nice long visit. But for readers who want "something to happen", it's brutal. Nothing really does happen until the last 100 pages. So, bottom line is that I recommend reading the book, with the caveats that it doesn't feel as if the focus of the plot and the development of the characters is on par with the earlier works. I'm going to be on line at midnight when Book 6 comes out and I'll read that too, but I'm afraid that the unmitigated joy in the experience is going to fade as the series continues.
Rating: 
Summary: J.K.Rowling has done it again
Review: Unfortuneately for my children once I had picked up the fifth book I was gone for four days!!!Harry has developed into a typical teenager full of self doubt and mood swings but unlike most teens his age he has an unusal set of problems to cope with as well.
I found this book full of intriguing twists and wonder at how Rowling manages to remember all the fine detail from the other books and can expand on her ideas so ingeniously, e.g. the horseless carriages that transport the children to Hogwarts to mention just one.
This book also manages to combine the magical world with that of the muggle world in such a way as to open up new avenues along which the story can progress.
The only problem that arose was that I finished reading too soon and will have to wait about two years for the next segment!! Oh well I guess I'll just have to start rereading the series again.
Rating:
Summary: Yet Another Wonderful Addition to the Series
Review: I've been following the Harry Potter series for a while now and I have found JK's books to be wonderfully entertaining. I've enjoyed watching Harry grow up and though the Prisoner of Askaban was my favorite of the series, this is a close second. Harry is continuing in his fight to understand the unjust nature of the world and JK was very adept as making sure that he had plenty to whine about in this book. We see that Harry's life is not all roses but that there are plenty of thorns. We also see his father in a less than perfect light and even catch a glimpse of a poor, helpless Snape. The perspectives that are given in this book make the series broader, making me anxious for the next book to see where JK will take them next. I am greatly enjoying Harry's growing up and cannot wait to see him on his way to being a grown man. Excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: Great Story, But It's not "Goblet" or "Azkaban"
Review: WHY YOU'LL LIKE THIS BOOK: "Phoenix" maintains the high standard of rich, detailed storytelling we've come to expect from Rowling. She continues to keep Harry's world fresh. There are many tantalizing new things revealed that we've never seen before (Harry's "guardian angels," Sirius Black's family, elements of Professor Snape's past, Neville Longbottom's parents, O.W.L. exams, and whatever happened to Gilderoy Lockhart, to name a few). Similarly, there are a number of interesting developments with the existing components of the past (Ron's new pursuits, Harry finds love -- or does he?, the trouble with Percy Weasley, the new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher you love to hate, and Fred & George Strike Back!). For these reasons alone, "Phoenix" is an absorbing and interesting read. If you don't expect a completely happy, sappy ending, you should love every page. WHY YOU WON'T LIKE THIS BOOK: Book 5 of the Harry Potter series is a definite departure from its predecessors. "Phoenix" does not follow in the footsteps of the relatively light-hearted adventures of Harry's past 4 years at Hogwarts. Rowling portrays Harry (in a rather over-embellished fashion) as a moody and conflicted teenager given to fairly regular outbursts of frustration and general angst. Anyone expecting Harry to be sweet and perfect (or at least unchanged/unscarred from his experiences) is in for a bit of a shock. Harry exhibits the typical (and often stubborn) behavior of many real-life teenagers. The bulk of this book also deals with the Hogwarts crowd enduring seemingly incessant (and extremely frustrating) meddling from the Ministry of Magic. The comeuppance comes, eventually, but it is hardly satisfying. Finally, prior installments culminated with excellent (and often unforeseen) twist endings. Not so with "Phoenix." The ending, while not predictable, is rife with action and excitement, but little else. Think of this more as an excellent "filler" episode in the Potter saga, as opposed to a stand-alone giant as some of the previous books have been. One last note on Harry's behavior: Several reviewers have noted (and complained) that Harry, in Book 5, is "mean," "rude," and "insensitive." They're not wrong, but that hardly describes the entire character. Indeed Harry is all these things at points, like anyone, but not at all times as some folks make it sound. In keeping with the direction events took at the end of Book 4, the story follows Harry trying to come to terms with horrors he experienced in Book 4 (having seen a fellow student murdered in cold blood before his eyes and narrowly avoiding being murdered himself by a resurrected Lord Voldemort) and deal with the frustration of being "out of the loop" from the wizarding world over summer. If you imagine yourself being treated like a child when you've already had to shoulder the burden of an adult, throw in seeing a relatively close associate die in front of your eyes for no reason, as well as being recently confronted by the person who murdered your family, you then begin to see where Harry's outbursts come from (IMHO).
Rating:
Summary: Murder isn't evil?
Review: I guess if Cedric Diggory had just keeled over of a heart attack that would have been just death and GRIEF. In fact, he was senselessly killed because he was in the way of someone who is questing for power at any cost. So I'd say that has to qualify as evil. And Harry is no longer "sweet, heroic Harry." Well, as Lupin and Sirius told Harry--"the world isn't divided into good people and Death Eaters"[read "bad people."] Harry isn't perfect, his father wasn't perfect, Dumbledore isn't perfect--and Snape isn't entirely bad. (Although Malfoy IS entirely bad--and he's getting boring.) That's just reality. To me it gives depth, complexity, interest, emotion, heart, flesh and blood to the story--within the constraints of children's fantasy novel. (It ain't Dostoevsky--nor should we expect it to be.) I do agree however that J.K. Rowling needs to find an editor who can tell her "no." I agree that the housecleaning went on way too long and that the whole thing should have been a lot tighter. Still and all I think she's plumbing new and fascinating depths for a children's book. And it seems to me a lot of the difficulties with this book stem from what seem to be plot set-ups for what's to come. So I'm waiting to look at all seven books as a whole before I weigh in on the question fully. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm anxious for more.
Rating:
Summary: It was great.
Review: I am a big Harry Potter fan and had very high expectations for this book. They were practically all met. Even though I would want more to happen (and less in the case of the tragic event in the book) and for it to be longer, I am extremely happy with it. It was great. There's that writing style and humor we all love, and there are all those characters we love. This was my second favorite Harry Potter book (my very favorite is the 3rd one), but it was a close match!
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent and Surprising
Review: I can't deny that I was absolutely surprised by the ORDER; it was out of my expectations, both in a good way and in a bad one. First of all it took JKR so long to write down 870 pages of her story! Secondly you can't really say that it wasn't mesmerizing, but I believe it could have been better. I mean it is really becoming a business tool instead of a magical any-age reading. In one of the reviews somebody said "Is J.K. Rowling losing her touch?" personally I think "they" are loosing her the touch. It is hard to say which was the best; my favorites are the Goblet of Fire and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The only thing is that everyone says it was so dark; well I believe that it was the good thing about it; it made it different. However, the death of the character in this one was really unnecessary. I didn't have any feelings toward Cedric whatsoever, so it wasn't much of a grief, but this one; Oh, I can't bear it! Harry is more aggressive in this one. Personally I think that there was too much argument and rudeness between all of the characters. Else that Dumbledore at the end appeared as this "old man" toward Harry, which was quiet a shock for me; I thought of Dumbledore as this powerful, wise wizard, who's capable of everything. Well wasn't the only character JKR ruined, what about James Potter? I can't even hate Snape as much as before... But still it was better than most of the books that I've read and yes you should buy it (well honestly, borrow it, read it, and buy it when it becomes $5) I want the sixth book to be more magical, want it to be the proof that it is written for us not for those rich "supporters" who are taking away from the fun of the book and adding it to their bank accounts! Hope this helps, please tell me about it.
Rating: 
Summary: My 7-year-old read this in three days
Review: Why did he keep reading? In his words: "I kept saying, 'I want to get over with this part.'"
Do our children need more hopeless, dark situations with no justice? My son started this series in kindergarten and J.K. Rowling's control over my son's childhood is beginning to irk me. My kid has now turned to Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary for the summer ... doesn't WANT to have a Harry Potter birthday party. Too depressing. Read me? DEPRESSING!
Yes adolescence can be depressing but it is all attitude--and the books should reflect that. The suspension of disbelief is interrupted by the cruelty of the adult characters.
In retrospect, the first book was the best with its grammatical errors--before JK had a stack of editors I suppose. Then it was nursed for a few entertaining -- if formula -- volumes before, KACHING, KACHING, movie rights entered the writing. It had to get violent. It just had to.
And now it appears the modern teenager in western civilization has to struggle. Maybe J.K. needs to visit some other cultures where teenagers ENJOY the primes of their lives.
Let's get on with it and let Harry and his friends have a good time in the next book...at least enough of a good time to keep his fans from abandoning literature.
What did my kid LIKE about this book? "Fred and George escaping on their brooms."
Isn't that what literature is for? To escape?
The bottom line is, kids should stop at book three. Adults may find psychoanalyzing the author and her marketers worth reading on.
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: This is a great book. I have all 5 of the Harry Potter books, and this is one of the best. It shows alot of pent up anguish in Harry, but hey, he's older now. I'd recommend this book to everyone to enjoy as it is great for people of all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Explanations for Harry's Personality Change
Review: I agree with everyone that this was a good book and that it was also disappointing. Nonetheless, it was well worth the money and time. Harry's change of character is the most significant point of contention. But I wonder if his personality change, given that it was so suddent and extreme, might be related to his increased exposure to Voldemort. They share a psychic link and Voldemort used some of Harry's blood for his regeneration. And remember in book 4, when Harry is recounting his dual with Voldemort he says, "He said my blood would make him stonger than if he used some else's..." And then it reads, "For a fleeting instant, Harry thought he saw a gleam of something like triumph in Dumbledore's eyes." Maybe this personality transformation is the result of Harry's blood transfer, but ultimate it will prove to be Voldemort's undoing. It's just a thought. I have a friend who thinks that the character that dies in this book comes back in a later book, maybe in an exchange for Voldemort's life. This book is good enough to wait anxiously for the last two.
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