Rating:  Summary: Pretty Darn Good!!! Review: I really like this book. It was sort of confusing, but altogether great! I didnt like that one of my favorite characters died. :( But overall, it was Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:  Summary: Harry potter runs short, in the spine that is just too long Review: Ok, i have no idea where to start. i have been reviewing books for the Orgonian for ages, but I feel it hard to review this book for the fact that i find it incomplete. it is only part of a book, as are all the books in this series, for they will not be complete until joined tgether in the end... but the faults of this harry potter book are classic mistakes made by all authors, and i knew that at this point in the writing of the seiers, this was going to happen. This, my friends, is your classic middle series book. it lacks a true begining and end, and really doesn't make any new definaitions in ther series, it is just telling a story that is incomplete, for it has not happend yet. such books as the subtle knife, and the two towers also had the same fate, but this book has other problems that seperate it from any other middle series books, and that is the length... I was thrilled to see rowling had written a whoping 870 pages, because after the amazing goblet of fire, i figured that she was an author who operated better with more pages, adn the ability to give readers time to adjust, but i find myself in-correct, as i realize there is about enough content in this book, to last only a lucky 400 pages, which makes one wonder what she does with the other 470 in the book that i claim non exsistant story. well it's her doing several things... - turning harry into my 3 year old after breaking into the candy drawer - turning cho chang into an emotional crying mess - elimantating some charecters completely from the story in order to make room for much more boring, less interesting ones - giving harry fits of rage - turning sirius into a semi-hateful person - more tantrums - hermione turns into harrys love doctor - harry cries some more - etc... There just isn't enough in this book, and she spent too long trying to get to the school. though as you can see i still give it 3 stars... thats because i see that the story faults are just what reviews call "middle series syndrome," and other that that my only other problem is the horrible length... there are things that will keep ytou interested, but just not enough... all i can say is that if j.k's editor's are too afraid to edit the prodigy that is harry potter, than i hope she learns how to do it herself before she ruins two more books...
Rating:  Summary: Best Book EVER!!! Review: If you were wondering which of the Harry Potter series would be equally thrilling and with loads of surprises, The Order of the Phoenix is the one.Packed with action, romance and even some mistery i couldn't put it down, read it and re-read it,and i think J.K.'s outdone herself. She's the best.
Rating:  Summary: Harry grows up Review: Once again, a beautifully published book that's a pleasure to read. We plunge right in, very little backstory. Rowling is forever inventing magic words and spells that are just so right in sound and etymology. She is really good at making you smile, less so at building tension and realizing action. There isn't much action but overmuch administrative detail in the Order and at Hogwarts, where there's now an insufferable government agent. Aside from Harry angrily moping around a lot (raging hormones?) there isn't much particularly dark here (aside from the US cover), amidst the shenanigans and Weasleys' pranks'until a Star Wars-like finish.
Rating:  Summary: Sad Old Harry Review: Up until the fourth book, I was a dedicated Harry Potter fan, willing to die for JK Rowling. However, after reading this latest novel, I felt as if this book is truly lacking in Rowling's usual flair. Firstly, what's wrong with Harry Potter? He was such a good boy, someone you'd want to take home to visit your mom. Now he's temperamental, argues a lot, but most annoyingly, self pitying. Now, I understand he's been through a lot, but this is just unrealistic. Perhaps JK Rowling is trying to make Harry appear older and thus "moodier", but no one suffers from PMS for the entire year (then again, Harry shouldn't even have PMS!). Secondly, this book is just ridiculously long. It does not need to be so long! The first, second, third and fourth books were well edited, to the point, exciting, with plenty of tension. Because of the extra unnecessary details in the fifth book, at some points in the book, I felt bored. The tension was lacking. The editors could have cut out half of the book, and it could only have make it better. Why couldn't they do what they did for the first few books? Or maybe Rowling has become too authoritarian and defied the wishes of the editors? I also had a problem with the general focus of the novel. I can easily tell you the main "subject" of the story in the first four books, but I couldn't indentify what this whole story was meant to be about! Was it the Ministry? Some old "Order of the Phoenix"? Or was it the climax, with the prophecy? The storyline did not flow into the climax. There weren't enough "hints". I had a feeling she just made up the climax as she was getting to it. Overall, the book just lacked direction. It didn't really have an aim. I agree with a previous reviewer about this fifth book as a "bridging book". That's just so sad.
Rating:  Summary: I love Harry Potter Review: This was an excellent addition to the series. As in all the books, we are given new insight into Harry's life, that even he doesn't know. I can't wait for the next one.
Rating:  Summary: Moody--the boy, the book, and the cool dude! Review: This book may not please everyone, but Harry Potter comes as close as perhaps any literary work in history. Not to scholastic: something this good needs zero, zilch, nada, hype. Even with all the hype however, book 5 meets expectations. And that's definatley noteworthy. On to the review. With the dark ending of Goblet of Fire, Order takes and runs with it (YAY!). Harry is now a sulky, confused, and moody teenager. I was rather disappointed with his attitude during the 15th year of the Boy Who Lived life. His outbursted are definatley understandable. But his attitude became tiresome after 150 pages or so. Considering the book is 800+, however, that's not a good thing! No matter how justified, wallowing in self-pity helps nothing, just becomes unhealthy after a short period. Liking how relatable and realistic; not simplified just for being a kid, taking teenage Harry to hormonal hell was kind of unsatisfying to me, because not *everyone* goes this extreme confusion during their teens. Imply so is a gross over-exageration. Even though it sound like he will have to face hell (war) the next couple of years ;). All the same, I hope Harry will return to old-souled, though scared, and not be stuck in raging teen mode these last two books. Order also different in that there is less of a focused plot, and is more character driven. The book actually contributes less to an overall serial arc, as it does in seeing old, new, major, and minor characters in new light, which of course leads to excellent growth in several characters. Two words: Moody rules! The book is overly long, not because of her writing style, (which I wouldn't dare change!) but in there are a few too many plot threads running around in the book. To where we become disappointed when they don't have much revelance, despite the promise of book 6&7. Not to Rowling: don't get carried away with 20 different threads coming together in future books! Though I've been negative so far in this review, note that I can easily distinguish weaknesses in things I love. This is a great read in a great series! I won't spoil the surprises and things I enjoyed. (okay, just one: Mad-Eye Moody is a STUD! Too cool! :)) Looking back we may credit JK for making a tough number 5 of 7. It's a ways through the series, but before the "big guns" whip out, so to speak. To that I give a Peeves-like salute!
Rating:  Summary: What an imagination! Amazing! Review: I think I am probably correct in assuming, that all those people who became fans of J.K. Rowling and her one-of-a-kind Children's series while reading her other four books, have probably already read and possibly re-read the newest installment in the Harry Potter adventures, 'Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix'. So, instead of wasting anyone's time by writing my review like I think that anyone who fell in love with Harry five years ago needs convincing, I'll write this for all of you who haven't yet fallen under Harry's spell. So, who knows when it was that you first heard of the Harry Potter books, and who cares? Its not as if its something you're interested in. Not so my Harry-oblivious friend, because once upon a time I was very similar to yourself. Let me tell you a story. Three years ago, I was thirteen, in eighth grade, in love with all five members of 'Nsync and convinced I wanted nothing to do with Harry Potter. To me, The Harry Potter books were stupid, children's fantasy novels that could never hold the attention of the future Mrs. Justin Timberlake. I was not "into" reading at all, let alone a book about something that did not involve shallow American teenyboppers, and besides my ten-year-old sister read Harry Potter... "ew!" But the fact remained school was an ever-present part of my life, and each quarter I was forced against my will to read a book of my choice and take a computerized test on it, so in the second quarter (mainly because my family owned it) I chose 'Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone'. Much to my disgust, I loved it. So now lets talk about you. For the past months, you've been rolling your eyes at all the little nine-year-olds with "count down to HP5" calendars in their bedrooms, laughing callously at the cardboard cutouts of an animated Harry in every bookstore window, and nursing your contempt for all those above the age of twelve who think the books are worth the time of day...or maybe you haven't, maybe you just don't care, but still don't you think it was a better story when you were? In my opinion, 'Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix' is just as good a book as its four predecessors. Rowling has successfully transformed her main character from a curious little boy to a heroic adolescent. The plot thickens and while the fifth book is noticeably darker, I have yet to meet someone who was bothered by this. With her newest publication, Rowling has sealed the deal on establishing Harry as good literature rather than mind-cluttering entertainment. The Harry Potter books will most likely go down in history, just like their title character in the stories themselves. So why wouldn't you read Harry Potter? In thirty years do you want to be that person who says: "Yes, I was around when Harry Potter was first published, but I didn't read it." Or when you're playing 2045's edition of Trivial Pursuit, do you want to be the player who has to say: "Uh..." when the question is: "What is the name of Harry Potter's best friend?" (It's Ron, by the way). No, of course you don't. So do yourself a favor and buy all five Harry Potter books immediately. I promise you'll like them.
Rating:  Summary: Harry Potter Going to the Pot Review: There is one reason why this book will not become classified as Classic Literature that will be studied and read throughout time. That is that the book is too transparent. The Harry Potter Series takes too liberally from other classic tales (Lord of the Rings is the highest example), and doesn't create enough of its own charisma to hold its own. They are fascinating, and adventurous tales, and, yes, the very idea of originality is to take and borrow great things to create something entirely new. Something which more and more of the Harry Potter books lack. I am glad to see children, even older adults, reading these tales. But I would hope that they don't expect all books to be as easy and non-descript as these as they delve further into the vaults of Classic Literature. Let's face it, the Series cannot match such books as Ben Hur, Huckleberry Finn, or Sherlock Holmes, to name a few.
Rating:  Summary: J.K. Rowling has done it again! Review: After waiting at least three years for the next installment in this wonderful series, I have to say that Order of the Phoenix was well worth the wait. It is indeed a lot darker then the other four, but we knew that going into it. J.K. Rowling did a wonderful job portraying Harry as a fifteen year old. He couldn't stay angelic forever, what with Voldemort back and everything. I'm currently on my second time around, and to tell you the truth, I don't see where people get off saying that this book was worse then any of the others. Honestly, they're acting worse then Harry. And that's saying something.
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