Rating: 
Summary: Whiplash from wrapping the whole book up in 4 chapters
Review: I love these books! Rowling does quite a good job developing characters with her writing style. And her writing style and vivid imagery is why I keep going back and while I'll eagerly await the next bookHOWEVER, with 150 of 870 pages left to read, I started wonder how she was going to wrap things up that quickly when she hadn't even presented the real crux of the conflict yet. I braced myself for the let-down to come. Did she just get tired of writing it? Was the publisher impatient for her to be done? Did they just truncate at the page count for marketing considerations? If that was the case, they could have done with less "Harry waits for news" at the begining and more meat at the end. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story.
Rating: 
Summary: She could have wrote about squib filmmakers!
Review: I have a Harry Potter obsession. I eagerly awaited book five and found out that it wasm't worth the wait. You can clearly see the films and merchandise tampered with J.K's once magical writing style. She said we would find out a bunch of stuff while really it was mostly only enough to cover five pages. She spends over 800 pages in a depressing tension build-up and doesn't give Harry a break from his sadness. He's on the verge of smiling again and something terrible happens. The climax seems very unclimatic compared to book four's. Though ... death was sad and left an effect it was too sudden. I found this book as a disappointment. She should just have killed Harry off in this book and or changed the plot so it has evil squib filmakers try to reveal Hogwarts to muggles through a movie. It would be funny and might prevent anymore ... HP films. Well we can only hope the sixth is better.
Rating:
Summary: Where's the emotion?
Review: I, personally, was disappointed in this book. The first four grabbed me and made me care about the characters. This one left me not caring about most of them in the slightest. Even the death scene had no effect. The character of Harry came across as whiny, self-absorbed and complaining. Yes, I know that's typical for his age, but I'm not looking for reality in a Harry Potter book; I'm looking to escape reality. Everyone seemed so two-dimensional in this story. Hagrid, Dumbledore, the Dursleys, the Weasleys, everyone...they were all just paper dolls. I don't know. Maybe it's just me. I sincerely hope everyone else enjoys it more than I did.
Rating: 
Summary: Deliciously Complex and Unquestionably Entertaining
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has, beyond the shadow of a doubt, lived up to the hype. This book, although different in many ways from the others, compliments the series perfectly. Rowling alludes to events in each of the previous four books more than in any other book. She brings back characters that most readers never expected to see again-people from Sir Cadogan to Professor Lockhart. Although most of these characters are only mentioned in passing, some, such as Professor Trelawney, play much more important roles. Either way, it's nice to know they haven't been forgotten. Faithful fans of Harry Potter have learned that Rowling never puts in a detail without a reason and 'Order of the Phoenix' confirms this. Details from the first four books that you never expected to amount to anything become important factors in 'Order of the Phoenix.' As everyone notices, this book is indeed darker than the first four. A few readers have complained about Harry's attitude in this book. He is unarguably more bitter and angry. I find this change in Harry makes the series even more realistic. He has suffered abuse at the hands of the Dursley's, witnessed death, fought Lord Voldemort numerous times, and has been through more than most 'normal teenagers' and even adults have in their entire lives. His new attitude can hardly be blamed. Other characters show more depth as well. We find that Dumbledore is not perfect, Ron does have some potential, Snape has his reasons for his bitterness towards Harry, and James Potter and Sirius have their darker sides as well. Humour abounds in the story particularly through the antics of Fred and George Weasley. The reader will also be surprised and pleased to see how Ginny begins to take after her brothers more in this installment. In 'Order of the Phoenix' we also get to see more of the wizarding world beyond Hogwarts. Harry journeys to the Ministry of Magic as well as St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The depth, creativity, and complexity of this book manage to make Harry's story more believable and fascinating than any of the previous books have done. After reading and thoroughly enjoying this wonderful book, I have only one complaint. It just wasn't long enough.
Rating:
Summary: simply brilliant (no spoiler)
Review: This book exceeded expectations of most people I know and of course the same for me. J.K Rowling just gets better and better at this series. The way she has turned Harry into a 15 year old from the first book....the flowing maturity is very applaudible. The death of ____________ is indeed very sad and quite unexpected, but no more. Albus Dumbledore plays a very important role in this book also. The only disappointing aspect is what is said on the back cover....it has not met up with most people's standards and they expect more. I can hardly wait for book 6!
Rating:
Summary: Dismal disappointment after torturous long wait.
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was a depressing, drawn out offense to my senses. I found myself depressed and fearing there would be no happiness in the book at all as it droned on page after page of dentitions and Sytherins dominance. My favorite episode in the book was when Fred and George Weasley refused to be punished by Professor Umbridge, their exit was classic Harry Potter that I loved and missed in this book. We needed a lot more scenes where good over come evil; give a kid a break for a change. I have been collecting the series to read to my grandchildren. I will not be reading the Order of the Phoenix to them and I will not recommend it to friends. This book is far too long for the target age group and doesn't provide the escape into fantasy the first four books afforded readers. Reading should be fun, exciting, not a drag and I found myself relieved to be done reading the book. It is obvious that the editor only saw the dollar sign and cared little for fans. In my opinion J.K. Rowling has lost her touch with this book.
Rating:
Summary: 900 PAGES NOT ENOUGH
Review: Without hesitation I can recommend this as the best HP novel to date. I was skeptical that JKR would be able to paint a richer picture of her characters but she pulled it off well. Everything is fresh and crisp and the story just rolls. I couldn't put it down. I knew a character was going to die by the end, but I was never able to guess who it was going to be. It will be a surprise to the reader. I just wanted to get the thing read before someone told me who it was. 900 pages was not enough. I wish there were more.
Rating:
Summary: Book 5 is the Absolute Best!!!
Review: I was so excited, I hoped I would not be dissapointed. I wasn't. The book was AMAZING! Full of twists and surprises that I would have never expected but they happened and they made this book fabulous. I cheered when Umbidge left and cried when "the person"(I'm not gonna tell ya, it'll ruin the book.) died. Basically this book rocked!!!
Rating:
Summary: Best so far
Review: Maybe I enjoyed this one best, because I'm going through what Harry goes through at the moment. (I finished this in three days, school and hanging out included as interferences) My friends never seem to tell me anything, such as one girl who's going to another school or my best friend going on vacation. People also seem to get the wrong idea of me, along with homework struggles. All the other books in the series, I had read as a spectator. This time I was wholly pulled into the story, feeling the same way, getting angry and annoyed. Also, they introduced a new character into the series: Luna Lovegood! She is now my favorite character. (it used to be Malfoy, surprise.) Cho turns out to be quite a nuisance. I agree with Harry: 'Why does she always drag up a topic that turns her into a human hosepipe?!?' Zacharias Smith is another nuisance. He reminds me of my ex-friend, who is always saying mean and negative things that depress others.... Hmmmm....one last thing. Where can I get radish earrings?
Rating:
Summary: a more mature potter
Review: First of all, if you're a Potter fan, you have to read this book, so any review is simply a critique of the finished product, not a guide to a smart purchase (if you're a fan, no negative review will turn you away; if you've never liked Potter, this book won't change your mind).
I am a Potter fan. Having finished this book in four days, I found myself often getting upset at the irresponsible, self-centered attitude Harry has developed (anyone who dares to yell at Dumbledore deserves to get the Crucio curse). Sure, it was to show a troubled adolescence all the more twisted by having to fight evil dudes at every turn. Still, a lot of times I wished someone would just give Harry the beating he never got. At the same time, the familiar wit and jokes we've gotten used to in the series is present, so faithfuls will find it easy to get into. Lots of teasers, something always happening... but we have this very disturbed version of Harry. Hopefully he grows up in the next two books and avoids becoming like his father.
One thing that this book manages to avoid is the repetitious introduction of the main characters, which the previous books dedicated a significant amount to. Book Five simply jumps right into the plot, assuming the readers are almost familiar with everyone.
Potter fans will definitely like this book. Just be prepared for a new Harry.
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