Rating: 
Summary: Finished In One Sitting
Review: How could anyone not LOVE this book?? If I've learned anything, JK Rowling is a stickler for detail. I don't think anything that happened in this book was insignificant so it HAD to be as long as it was. And if the ending wasn't a surprise it was because people sold it and read it before the release date!!! I couldn't have been more angry that those people tried to spoil it for the rest of us. Anyways, Harry is growing up and he's going through the same pains the typical teenager goes through - no one understands, angry at adults, trying to figure out the opposite sex. And the plot thickens. ^_^ When does the next one come out??
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing...
Review: After years of waiting I expected more from this book. I thought there was too much time spent on story lines that would never come to fruition, and of the 870 pages in the book everything significant seemed to happen in about the last 50 pages. The ending then came abruptly, as did the much awaited "significant character" death, to say the least. This book was, perhaps, over-anticipated and had no chance of ever meeting the expectations created in the years of waiting. I do feel this was a challenge created by the writer, herself, and she certainly did not meet it. I cannot help but be disappointed by this newest voyage into the world of Harry Potter. Until now I was able to forget that this literature was designed for children, unfortunately the immaturity of the literature, and perhaps the writer, was painfully clear. On the bright side, the wait for the next novel will be less grueling due to the low expectations I now have.
Rating:
Summary: A great transition book
Review: I read this book in three days, and I was enthralled by it. It was different for the other four and that is what made it special. There was no James Bond, Scooby Doo unmasking at the end which was the suprise. Since Voldemort is back there can not be another great villian for Harry to beat. Umbridge is a damn fine person to hate but she was exactly who she appeared to be. One of the things that I disliked in the first four books was that the villian reveals everything and by doing so, gives Harry a chance to escape. My previous favorite book was the Prisoner of Azkaban because we learn the most in that one, and it deviated by the formula set in the first two books. The fourth book was the dramatic "Empire Strikes Back" of the series. The Order of the Pheonix is the transition book between Goblet of Fire and the last two, and it did it very well. This book builds up suspense for the remaining two books of the series. Some people are saying that the book is too long, boring, too dark, etc. I disagree with these people for the following reasons:
1. If there was another great big adventure where Harry and company save the day (again) it would be too repetitve.
2. The begining of the fifth book was, to some, slow, but I thought that this built up interest. I thought that the beginning of the fourth book was much more boring.
3. TOO DARK??????? Of course it is dark. NEWS FLASH: VOLDEMORT IS BACK. It has to be dark.
4. Others say that Harry is too angry. While reading the book I was rooting Harry on. I think he has been too nice for too long. Let's see what Harry has to be angry about: Parents murdered, abusive family, everyone thinks he is crazy, UMBRIDGE, Snape, Dumbledore ignoring him, seeing Cedric die, seeing Voldemort rising, his scar burning, dementors after him, MALFOY.... Oh maybe it has to do with Voldemort and his followers trying to kill him. The book shows that all characters are flawed, even Dumbledore. The kids are growing up and they are changing as are the books. I loved this book (it is my new favorite) and I can not wait for book six. Of course that is just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Read But A Bit Infuriating
Review:
Like Rowling's previous books in the series, it was extremely hard to put down. Even when I haven't read a book in a long while, Rowling always brings me back full force, wanting more. During this 5th installment, Harry is wracked with guilt, anger, and petty jealousy. In addition to being a normal 15 year-old teenager, he has to deal with the painful memories of the death of Cedric Diggory (book 4) and the return of Voldemort. Only his closest friends and supporters even believe his story regarding Voldemort and this leads to an increased feeling of helplessness throughout the book. He rages at these feelings and channels them into all sorts of rebellous acts. This is definitely not the boy from Book 1. The wide-eyed innocence of the magic world has lost its luster and is replaced by feelings of loss and frustration. It's hard to reconcile these differences but it's quite understandable considering the immense burden he is forced to bear. Although I enjoyed this book, there were times that I felt a little helpless myself. As Harry, time after time, does the wrong thing and continually refuses to listen to the advice of his friends and loved ones, the story becomes almost infuriating. And even as we find out in the end why Dumbledore chose to keep Harry in the dark, I just had to say, huh? It didn't seem like a good reason to me. The infallibility of Dumbledore is definitely brought into question on this one. And why exactly is this prophecy so important? What could Voldemort have gained with it? It's so vague as to be nearly useless. In addition, the other characters in the book become a mere background story as Harry's persona takes over every page. The story of Ron finally overcoming his fears and winning the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor is told and then completely forgotten. Any romance between him and Hermione is at a complete standstill (other than one kiss on the cheek she gives him). Hagrid is barely in the book and when he does appear, he seems totally self-absorbed. Past characters of Lupin and Mad-Eye Moody are little more than background noise. A little time is given to Sirius, but, because of the what happens later in the book, it didn't seem like near enough. A few new characters where brought out in this book, namely Umbridge, Luna Lovegood, and Tonks. Umbridge was thoroughly repulsive and made a good villian (although I couldn't really feel scared of her at all...her character was more ridiculous than fearful). Luna came out of nowhere to become a semi-central character yet I still have no real idea about who she is and what drives her. I rather doubt she will even show up much in the last two books. Tonks is an interesting character but nothing was ever really done with her...maybe in one of the next books we'll find out more. One of my favorites, Neville, seems to receive more book time than either Ron on Hermione. I surely thought a nasty death was coming to him because of this. I was relieved that he survived but it actually would have been a much more heartbreaking loss had he been the one who died in the end. I felt far greater sympathy for him than for Sirius...who has always seemed to be a tertiary character to me. Another quick item was the burgeoning romance between Harry and Cho Chang. So much time was spent on building this relationship, only to have it summarily thrown away at the end of the book. As far as I could tell, they still liked each other very much but, for some reason, Cho just decides to start going out with other people? And Harry didn't even seem to care? I thought that very strange. All in all, a great book and a real page turner. It makes a very worthy addition to the Harry Potter series but I can't say that it was everything I'd hoped for.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: This is probably the best children's book I have ever read. Where was JK Rowling when I was a kid!?! This plot has more twists and turns and surprises than the Kraken Roller Coaster! I can't wait for the next one!
Rating:
Summary: Worth the wait. Riviting.
Review: I don't know if J.K. Rowling deliberately let it slip that one of the main characters dies in this book, but if she did it works brilliantly. She milks it for everything it's worth. Every single major character it seems is on the brink of death at one point in this book and every time you start wondering, is it going to be them that dies? It's very riveting. Each chapter roles right into the next with a cliff hanger at the end, and you just want to read the first page of the next chapter to see if it clears things up. Then you figure I'm already into the next chapter I might as well keep reading, and you get sucked in again. I felt as if I wanted to rush forward and read it all in one sitting if possible, but then in the back of my mind it was telling me I should try to savor it a little more, as it might be years before the next one comes out. When the book finally reached it's conclusion however, I found it a little bit of a let down. I understand that there are going to be seven books in the series, and you couldn't tie up all of the lose ends in this episode, but I thought it needed a little more of a conclusion. For example, I understand Gryffindor probably didn't win the house cup, but they didn't even mention who did. You get the usual sit down meeting between Harry and Dumbledore where he takes most of the blame for not telling Harry things earlier, which may have made his life easier, but this seemed kind of a cop out. Also, it's minor in comparison, but the story line which was built up between the Weasley's son Percy and his parents, wasn't resolved either. There was a little more history on Harry's Aunt and Uncle, and at one point earlier in the story I actually felt a little bad for Dudley. (I wonder if Rowling will have Harry and Dudley resolve their differences by the end of the series?) Harry's character isn't as beloved by everyone as he usually is, and Dumbledore isn't the most respected wizard either. I was fine with this, and thought it made a nice change. I don't know if I was as happy however about questioning Harry's father's character though, as well as his father's friends. I suppose Rowling didn't want to make anyone out to be a saint. Hermione and Ron were solid companions for Harry as usual, and more people seemed to be joining Harry's inner circle (a.k.a. Neville, Ginny, etc.). I especially liked the development with Neville's character, by giving more of a family history. Harry's love interest with Cho was a new twist in the previous book as Harry started to mature, but it seemed kind of a waste in this book. After finally getting used to the character Rowling gives her flaws and seems to end it. In the end I also found what I believe were a few flaws with the story line. When Harry leaves Grimauld place, his godfather Sirius gives him a package which he says contains something Harry can use if he ever needs to get in touch with him. Harry tells himself that he will never use it however, because he doesn't want to be the one to lure Sirius out of Grimauld place and into harm, but then when Harry feels there is something he must talk over with Sirius, instead of using the means in which his godfather gave him to talk to him, he takes on all of these unnecessary risks to use another method. One of the main plots of the story is that Lord Voldemort doesn't want to risk going into the Ministry of Magic himself to get the prophecy. Why then after it is already broken does he then change his mind and go anyway? Finally, I don't believe that the main character which they made out to be dead in the end is really dead. Maybe it was written like this deliberately so that this person can come back, but there is no proof of death. Also no good explanation if fully given regarding the room in the Ministry of Magic that this so called death occurred. When the Empire Strikes back ended and several pieces of the story line were unresolved I felt cheated. Then after Return of the Jedi came out and all was revealed, many people then felt that Empire was the best of the series. Maybe once all is revealed in the Harry Potter series this book will be looked upon as the best of the lot as well.
Rating:
Summary: Delicious
Review: As usual, JK Rowling has created a delicious feast of a book for children and adults alike. Delighted fans of the series (like me) were well rewarded by the latest installment in Harry's adventures. True to her word, Rowling is making Harry mature in a realistic fashion as the books progress--leading to teen-age angst, the perils of teen-aged over confidence, and the tarnishing of childhood heroes in this book. I don't give away much to say that seeing Fred and George Weasley live out one of a teenagers greatest fantasies--in glorious fashion. The only criticisms I could make of the latest book are: 1) we see the appearance of a few fantasy cliches--disappointing from an author who has given us so much that is refreshingly new; and, 2) it was just too short! I know I'm not the only reader eagerly awaiting book 6! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A desperate attempt to make a book longer but still great!
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a terrific novel that's interesting, grabbing, and very creative. It's very different from the other Harry Potter books and all the key events that take place are shocking and happen unexpectedly. As usual certain sections of this Rowling book are very gripping and atypical. But what makes this Harry Potter book so different from the others except for maybe book four (The Goblet of Fire)? The answer is that this book is longer, darker, unusual, and Rowling really stretches the story. J.K Rowling's writing style has changed and the characters have also changed, i.e. Harry is no longer a sweet wizard who thinks before he acts- instead he's an impatient, bad-tempered, misunderstood boy who always makes the wrong decisions. But luckily most of the other characters like Hermione (skeptical, wise smart aleck) remained the same. All the characters now do seem to scream a lot though, especially at the Order's meeting place. Also, there are too many new characters and the problem is that they are all round characters and this makes the story a bit confusing at times. In addition the story's exposition-complication is lengthy and slow even though the story doesn't start out with Harry's birthday, describing his background. Before I forget if you're someone who's never read a Harry Potter book before this isn't a good place to start because of the fact that Rowling doesn't describe Harry's past unlike the other four books. Furthermore due to the arrival of Professor Umbridge, the atmosphere isn't exactly the same as the kind readers are used to. But nonetheless the novel is great and it's something that Harry Potter fans will truly appreciate and love. Even with all the changes and differences, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is fantastic with quite a bit of help from Rowling's creative writing style and her knowledge of Greek history and myths. Rowling sure knows where, when, and how to use good analogies to make her stories more appealing. I don't only mean using centaurs and owls but also coming up with names like Nymphandora and Minerva whereas Nymphandora is a Mystique-like witch that can change her appearance (just like a nymph) and whereas Minerva is another name for the wise Athena. The story revolves around Harry Potter, a wizard who is about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. After the grueling events that took place in the resolution of book four ...Harry is restless and desperate for some news from the wizarding world. He encounters dementors, faces expulsion, and is left out of a lot of things. But away from all this, the book gets back on track to the usual Harry Potter type plot with a few exceptions in between. A few words of advice- if you're impatient and don't like stories that stretch and don't get to the point fast you shouldn't read this I mean there are 766 pages (British version) or 870 pages if you're reading the American one. But I didn't think it was that long in fact I was a bit upset that it wasn't longer. Besides that, if you don't really remember everything you read in the fourth book, I recommend that you read that again to better understand the situations and events that occur in this novel.
In short despite the fact that this book can no longer be called a children's book, I for one loved it and enjoyed it. It is something that is very brilliantly written. It's something that I really enjoyed. It's something that all Harry Potter fans will be pleased about leaving them asking for more.
Rating:
Summary: I've Already Read It Twice!!
Review: This is the best book ever!! 766 pages is not enough. I can't believe that i am going to probably have to wait for another two or three years to find out what happens next! I am upset that the person she killed happened to be my favourite character, but the rest of the book is excellent!! I hated Proffessor Umbridge more than i have ever hated ANYONE, EVER! (Hem, hem!!)And i am so happy that Ron gets onto the quidditch team because i think he deserves it!! I loved this book...it was excellent, and i think that EVERYONE should read it!! :)
Rating:
Summary: What can I say, I'm a fan again!
Review: After reading The Goblet of Fire, I was a little disenchanted with the Harry Potter series, however after reading, Order of the Phoenix, I realize that I'm back on Harry's side. I thought the 5th installment was a worthy entry into the Harry Potter series. Though it wasn't as fast paced or as adventurous as her earlier works. The Order of the Phoenix and its mammoth 870 pages did have a seriousness that made it a worthwhile read over all. Harry is now 16 yrs old, puberty is taking its toll and Harry is no longer the kid we remember him as. J.K. Rawlings is now taking her characters to new levels of maturity; Harry now faces new adventures in his life, which can't be solved with a wand. We are shown many life lessons and I will admit that I loved that aspect of the book a lot.
As we read along we are seeing Harry Mature and realize that even wizards don't have it easy and that life is not a picnic, as we would like it to be. Hence, Rawlings sheds a wave of reality to her younger readers as well as older ones. I believe she is showing us, that once the bookends we shouldn't think wizards (or ourselves for that matter) don't have it any easier, but we will get what we desire through hard work and trial and error.
But finally the last 100 pages of this book flew by and had me glued for 2 solid hours till it ended, but I think this is a bit large for a children's book but it did flow well and I can't complain. I look forward to volume 6 whenever that will come, Lord only knows
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