Rating: 
Summary: Harry Potter and the Order of The Bored
Review: This book wasn't horrible if you take it on its face...however if you include the previous four books, you'll begin to wonder how Harry changed his whole personality in the month that is supposed to have transpired between books 4 and 5. I am sorely disappointed, and Voldemort plotting for a year to get a Prophecy? Why was it called a weapon? The book was misleading in spots, plainly obvious in others, and Harry is not the Harry I knew from books 1-4. I think perhaps J.K. has been too busy selling movie rights to dedicate much time to the venue that got her started. I do hope she concentrates more on books 6 and 7, but rest assured I won't be standing in line at Borders when the next one comes out.
Rating: 
Summary: hopefully helpful review-my thoughts on book 5
Review: Please don't continue reading this review if you don't want some surprises spoiled. Well, the book was another good read. But it was only good. It was still magical, but for me the specialness was wearing off. Maybe it was all that time waiting for it to come out. I read the first four voraciously, and felt like I was in that world and sympathized with Harry. The first half is a little boring. Even with the explanation at the end, I still don't understand why Aunt Petunia all the sudden feels so obligated to keep Harry (because she knows otherwise he's in terrible danger) when she seemed ambivilent enough, and almost happy, that his parents died. You'd think she'd prefer him in danger so she wouldn't have to suffer any more humiliations. Who knows? Maybe JK has more in store with her in the last two books. I liked Grimauld Place, but this book the "surprises" were too easy to spot. My favorite part of reading the other books were the surprises-Voldemort living on the head of that first Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Wormtail being Ron's rat, Cedric dying. I knew right off that Kreacher would be in on something evil and it was too obvious how and when. At school, JK introduced a delightful character in Umbridge. I hope she'll be back in the last two books somewhere; she was really entertaining! I also loved Loony Luna; another great character addition who I hope is back in the next books, Tonks magical ability is entertaining as well and I can just imagine it in a movie. Ron developed really well in this book, and Ginny also came out of her shell; but Harry and Hermione became really one-dimensional a lot of times. I think Rawling is trying to make them more teenage, which explains Harry's anger and such, but his anger and Hermione's nagging seem over-the-top. You just wanna slap them both at some points and say "Snap out of it!" the Cho/Harry subplot was boring, but the secret defense meetings were great. I really liked how Snape developed as well. The look into his past gives more depth not only to him but all the characters who were around then. However, I don't get how, if he's a reformed Death-Eater; why does he still like Draco and his cronies so much when he knows they're are confirmed Death-Eaters? I know they're in the same house but it doesn't make sense; the scene at the end with him taking points from Harry I just didn't get; I can get his dislike of Harry but not his like of the others. Basically every character who hasn't died came back somewhere in this book. It kind of seemed contrived, but I guess Rawling's got to set it up to use them all in the last two books. The climax starts off really shaky. OK, fine, I buy that Umbridge would take Hermione's bait and go into the Dark Forest even though it seems unlikely (you'd think Umbridge would know the dangers there). But this Harry just not listening to reason? He's an idiot. And it WAS his fault that someone died there. A lot to delve into in the next book. I liked the whole climax-ministry sequence very much. The department of mysteries was intriquing and I want to know what that arch Sirius fell into was exactly. Belatrix looks like a character that could become interesting in the next books. I think Rawling handled all the characters in the climax well and kept me captivated there more than any other part of the book. I have to say I'm getting a little tired of the other characters being unable to help-out 1 by 1 until it's always just Harry left. But, knowing from advance publicity that someone would die, Rawling did a good job of keeping you guessing as to who. Dumbledore's explanation at the end was absurd. I loved his other end-of-book speeches; I hated this one. The "phrophecy" was so lame; I wanted something earth-shattering and cryptic, instead I got that Harry or Lord Voldemort must die. Yawn. Harry might not have known that, but most readers already did instinctively. The only interesting part is that it might really be Neville in the end (though Dumbeldore doesn't think so). Of course by book 7 I want it to be Harry who does the deed, but at least if neville did it it would be something unpredictable, and that was this books biggest weakness: predictability. The book was still interesting and I read happily, and better than lots of other books out there. I don't mind it being long-the longer the better-as long as it's not boring. But in my opinion this was the weakest book of the series so far. Hopefully the next one will come out sooner and have more surprises that we haven't already figured out.
Rating: 
Summary: AWesome!
Review: Hi! I finished this book in 5 days because I couldnt seemt o put it down. I can't believe how many bad reviews this book has gotten- I agree with some people that the Prisoner of Azkaban was better, but the way people are exaggerating that Harry is cranky, and whiny, is totally inaccurate. I mean, how would you feel if EVERYONE misunderstood you, a evil wizard followed you around everywhere trying to kill you, kids made fun of you all day, and you suffered severe pain from battles with people- I'D BE TEN TIMES WORSE THAN HARRY! so quit it THis book is the best book!!!! Get it! ignore the bad reviews, get it get it! its the best!
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not as good as I had hoped!
Review: This book was a good book; however, it was missing that spark that the other stories posessed. In the other books, one will find a lot of action and many twists and turns in the story. I believe that the author might have been focusing on the fact that her books have not only been read and enjoyed by children, but adults as well. The story was good, but I think that the last story, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, was better. I would encourage everyone to read the book to find out what happens and to anticipate what will happen in the next book. Hopefully, it will be back on the same track as the others.
Rating:
Summary: The best!
Review: I don't know what Andrew Jennings wa sthinking, but this is the best book in the series. Stuff actually happens while Harry is at the Dursleys (I usually can only read the beginning of the books once), and just never stopped. I literally could not put this book down. I read it so fast I felt guilty. This is one of the best buys out there.
Rating: 
Summary: About 500 pages too long
Review: Part of the charm of "Sorcerer's Stone" was that the plot moved along quickly and smoothy. "Goblet of Fire" spent far too much time on the Quiddich World Cup, and this book spends FAR FAR too much time on Harry's hormonal difficulties. I appreciate Rowling's effort to make Harry grow and change, but so much ink is spent on his newfound temper, teen angst, and awkward attempt at romance, I no longer LIKE Harry anymore. I want him to stop whining and GET ON WITH IT. Perhaps if I had a 15 year old son I would think the same thing about him, of course. To much detail that doesn't advance the plot. Too many questions that Harry seems to lack the curiosity to ask. However, once I finally got past all the fluff, I still love the overall plot arc.
Rating:
Summary: Darker
Review: Unlike many others, I prefer the somewhat darker characterizations from the mind of Rowling, which lend more credibility and a richer dialogue to the book. The positive spins are still right around the corner and to me hit harder the darker the trip has been. Who's surprised by a fifteen-year-old "gifted" child who is also complicated and sometimes a royal pain the in the a**? Gnostic gospels, anyone? Also, aren't we a little beyond being concerned about what is or is not appropriate for people to read? If your child has read the others and can get through this one, then it is quite likely that she/he is a discerning individual who is bright and mature enough to handle what comes their way in this kind of literature. Your child vigorously reading this book should engender more excitement on your part than anything else -but then constrictive moralists are as rampant as they ever were. I like how some of the parents horde these books for themselves while condemning the childrens' reading. It is fitting of Rowling's more nefarious characters in the books. Funny. Rowling displays a unique elegance in the struggle between forces of good and evil in a style that is true to her tradition but that also reflects a willingness to venture into more experimental territory like the characters in this book (who deftly explore some familiar and not too familiar realms of fantasy and magic). I, too, was expecting a few more surprises and revelations to justify the incredible hype, but she did a satisfactory job nevertheless. For what it is, it ain't too bad.
Rating:
Summary: Best one yet? Doubt it.
Review: I love the HP series. Do not get me wrong but I found in this book what I had feared in the 4th. book and never materialized. It offers no surprise ending, no far fetched mystery,and it offers lots of repeticious and superfluous characters. A reduction of its comedic responses and situations and an increase in a contradictory and dual personalities in both Harry Potter and Dumbledore. The myth has been shortened and the plot simplified. It is what most of ut feared but that never materialized before because I think J.K. Rowling is stupendous author.
Rating:
Summary: The only thing upsetting about the book...
Review: ...Is that you know there are only two more left in the series. The Order of the Phoenix, Rowling's latest Harry Potter installment, is no less than magical, and most would agree that it's much more. Magic alone can't make someone feel affectionate and proud for a fictional character within a few pages, and make them feel utterly disgusted or bitter at another one within the next few (and believe me, with the given number of pages, you'll have a _very_ wide spectrum of emotions :p). So much happens in this book, and yet, hardcore Harry Potter fans and regular readers alike will be begging for more. Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts is filled with more danger than ever, and Rowling has added several more layers to the onion by introducing the middle ground between the extremes of good and evil - the Ministry of Magic becomes the censoring government obstacle between Harry and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (Potter gets political!). The novel has already developed a reputation within previous installments that it's no sugary feel-good fairy tale - the characters all have a solid foundation and human emotions. Harry's rapid teenage development and constant temper tantrums give him the feel of a real adolescent, even if somewhat exaggerated at moments. His friends, Ron and Hermione, also demonstrate adolescent behavior of bickering constantly, yet you can figure that they care for each other. I read this novel and felt so satisfied at some moments I felt like jumping up and cheering (especially for Fred and George Weasley and Professor McGonagall!). Other moments have you understanding the world and history of Harry Potter better, with even strange moments making you feel sympathy for Snape and disgust for James Potter. The "dark feel" of Harry Potter stems from the previous installments; the unease of Voldemort's presence and doubt among the Hogwarts students and wizarding community have reached their peaks. Again, as some might have thought of HP as simple children's fairy tales, Rowling's fifth gem in the box will certainly disprove this idea. The extremely talented and imaginative author has put magic, mystery, suspense, emotion, and extreme depth behind her idea that stemmed not very long ago. If only Harry Potter never graduated!
Rating:
Summary: Truly great book
Review: This book is really great. At first it starts a little boring but at is goes on it gets exiting. As you read the book, J.K Rowling does not give much information of what is what and you keep asking yourself a lot of questions. It is until the end that it gets really exiting. Harry starts going out with Cho, Harry and his friends make up a club for only some people,there is a really mean, stupid new teacher and someone that Harry loves dies. At the end most of your questions are answered but it makes you anxious to want the next book.
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