Rating: 
Summary: Most excellent
Review: I'm not going to spoil who dies for you, but it'll come as a bit of a shock. Don't believe any stupid Internet spoilers that came out before the book was released; they're all false.The book drags in spots, and be prepared for teenage angst. However, the action scenes are great, the new characters are excellent, and Harry finally get somewhere with Cho! I stayed up until 3 AM finishing this book, and don't regret it at all. Not as good as book 4, but excellent nevertheless.
Rating: 
Summary: A truly different Harry Potter than we've seen before.
Review: Though anyone reading this has probably already bought the book, I felt it would be nice to create a review on this spectacle of a book. First of all, it is truly a very different mood and tone from the first four books: Darker, in some respects. There are instances that push the bar higher of mature audiences, and the plot moves so fast at some times that it might be hard for younger readers to follow. Nevertheless, this is a masterpiece of a book. The storytelling, the incredible depth of imagination, and the riveting storyline intertwine to make the fifth Harry Potter one of a kind. Readers are in store for a few surprises, as well as the answers to many of the questions left unanswered in the previous four books. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that has read the first four, or even anyone that would like to delve into the series head-first (although I would recommend reading the others first, as there are many plot refrences). J.K. Rowling has done it again, and shown us the darker and deeper side of Harry Potter, without sacrificing the joy and happiness of this series which makes it so endearing.
Rating:
Summary: Already waiting for the next one
Review: I could not put this book down. Harry is frequently moody and angry in this book (sometimes with good reason, sometimes not), but no less loveable for it. Rowling writes so well it was easy to feel Harry's frustration and sympathize, even coming from an adult perspective. I dont' want to give anything away and ruin any of the plot, but it is definitely an outstanding read. The only problem was that, as I neared the end, I started thinking about the wait for Year 6! That says something when the only complaint about a book is that it has an end.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter comes back stronger than ever
Review: I have to say first that the hype for this book seemed endless, and had the potential to bring down the final product because it couldn't live up to the pre-set standards. Fortunately, this is not the case as J.K. Rowling steps up and writes the best Harry Potter book so far. First things first, the story. Though this book is slightly edgier than the previous four, and deals with the subjects of loss, grief, anxiety, and plain old stress, it all manages to come together into a work that can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Taking off where The Goblet of Fire left off, you can actually see the changes in Harry as he gets older both emotionally and through his new level of curiosity. It seems that we have left the 11 year old from the first book, and now have a teen to deal with, which only adds to the realism of the series, and makes it easier for the reader to relate to his experiences on a non-magical level. Cho Chang, Harry's love interest, finally comes to play a part in his life, bringing more complications, and bringing the story closer to reality. It's the little things, not just the main plotline that make this book really shine, and the detail that Rowling puts into it is simply amazing. The writing itself has developed quite a lot since the previous books. Rowling writes at a level that is understandable to anyone, including the younger part of the Harry Potter fanbase. But if you look at the book on a deeper level, there's a lot to gain even for grownups. This is one of the best books I've read recently, and I recommend it to absolutely anyone who wants to be totally swept away to a world that is magical in more than just the literal ways. J.K. Rowling stirs up her own sorcery in this wonderful work of literature.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter was awesome!!!
Review: I really liked this book because of all the twists and suspense. It had a great plot and showed how the students at Hogwarts and Harry coped and reacted to the events that they were faced with. This book was great and I'm looking forward to the sixth book of Harry Potter! I hope the sixth book will be as great as the others! I also hope that the sixth book will be coming out soon because the suspense of what will happen next is unbearable!
Rating:
Summary: A few missing pieces
Review: There was so much leading up to the book that I tried to put it all out of my mind and not expect anything except a good read. (I had visited every rumor page I could before reading!) And while I enjoyed reading it, there were a few things that bothered me. One was the fact that Dumbledore said they needed to unite. It's true they did in forming the D.A., but in the big battle scene, I didn't see any unity from the other houses. There have been big rumors about Lilly's eyes and a big secret coming out in this book about her, but I didn't see one at all.
Now the other little pieces of information were great. I'd like to have seen more handlings of the Toad in the end, but maybe next the next book. The death was played out unmercifully, not knowing WHO was to die. It was a shock, I'll tell you that. I also feel this character got the death they deserved and rightfully suited them.
Read the book for all the magic, but it's not as spell bounding as we were hoping it would be. I didn't burn to many oil lamps, but couldn't put it down in the three days I read it in.
Rating:
Summary: LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT *sobs*
Review: I love this book SOOOOOO much. i am a harry potter fanatic and have been waiting for this book for 2 years. I have to say that it is well worth the wait. It has drama, and friendship so strong that not even the evil of voldemort can break it. It's funny and breathtaking. I couldn't put it down! I found myself up all night reading for hours until my eyes couldn't bare it anymore. It kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next. this book is the best in the series and it is well worth the wait.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter's Growing Up
Review: I only got into the Harry Potter books after the first movie came out. My friends are both married and have a newborn child and we all went to the see the first movie together. Afterward, they could not believe that I had not read any of the books. Needless to say, they gave me the first book a few months later for Christmas. I read it and really enjoyed it much better than the movie and was amazed at how much the film left out and/or changed from the book. I finished the first book in one evening and was ready for more; unprepared for the urgent desire to read the second book, I ran out immediately and bought it. As it was a bit longer, it took me a few days of reading before going to bed to finish it. I was still dying to know what happened next, so the next weekend I bought the third book and finished it over a week or so. Then of course, I devoured the fourth book within two weeks. Now I was having withdrawl symptoms and was in the same predicament as everyone else, waiting for book 5--Harry Potter and The Order of The Pheonix. Rumors flew the whole time about J. K. Rowling having writers block and fake release dates, and of course the tension has been building since then. Now, the book is out and I have already finished it over the weekend. I took it in at 2 and 3 hour sessions, and read it in two days. I really did not want to finish it so quickly, but the book really drew me in and I could not put it down. It is a very dense book, filled with lots of important details referencing all of the previous books, and lots of guessing. I never knew what was going to happen next and I like that. I hate knowing what is coming and J. K. Rowling is very good at keeping you in the dark. Especially the fact that everyone knows, even before the book came out, that one major character dies. So much happened at the end of the book, so many people being attacked, that I was totally surprised when I did find out who had died. Also, this book is much different from the previous installments as the light hearted nature of Harry has been subdued and replaced by an overly emotional, demanding, confused, raging, angry Harry coming into his own at 15, dealing with so much pressure and consequence, just for being alive and not getting killed. In some ways, I felt that book 5 didn't match the first four and was a bit weighed down with all of the negativity between Harry, Ron and Hermione, and all of the other characters like Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, Hagrid, Snape and the Ministry. I felt quite frustrated, although this is an intergral part of what makes book 5 so unique and daring and special, as J. K. Rowling makes you truly understand what Harry is feeling throughout the book. Even though it was shocking at first, it makes the reader identify with what Harry has had to endure all these five years and how it is affecting him personally, and those around him. I will definitely have to re-read this book several more times to catch things I missed the first time through. So much is significant to what happened in the previous four and clues laid for what happens in book 6 and 7. Now of course, I am not sure I can wait that long for the 6th book to be released. I hope it will only be a year or so this time as J. K. Rowling has said book 6 will not be as lengthly or take as long to write as book 5 did. So we can hope for the end of 2004 at the latest as well as look forward to the third movie to come out June 2004. It will probly be at least 4 or 5 years until book 5 comes out as a movie, if at all, but hopefully so. Overall, it should be no surprise that this 5th book is the best in the series so far. In my mind, it ties for first place with the 4th book. I am looking forward to Harry growing up even more, finding out more about his past, and figuring out his future. I feel the books are getting more adult than the first four but it doesn't alienate the younger core audience as they are growing up too, and certainly welcomes older adults--young at heart like myself--who like fantasy and science fiction and a bit of drama and suspense thrown in for good measure. This book is the best so far in the Harry Potter series and it will only get better in book 6 and 7. I can hardly wait!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Dark, Scary...and Irresistible!
Review: After three long years of waiting, J.K. Rowling has finally blessed us with "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". We are introduced to new characters (some funny, some downright petrifying), and learn more about some old ones. The tone throughout the book is full of angst and gloom...and a strong sense of foreboding. As Rowling had mentioned in an interview...her readers would be upset with her at the end of this book, and now I know why. The ending of this book definitely made me wish that Book 6 was closer to being finished. Let's hope it doesn't take another three years to come out! The much speculated about death in this book came as a complete surprise to me. There was also a particular magical instrument that, if used correctly, would have made a big difference in the plot. I'm still trying to get my head around that bit of information and find out why Rowling wrote it that way... The deluxe edition comes in a protective hardboard sleeve with matte artwork and blue foil stamping. The book is covered with black cloth and has blue foil stamping as well. The book jacket is a gorgeous full color painting by Mary GrandPre and is suitable for framing (no barcodes or writing on it). The end pages inside the front and back covers are full color reproductions of the standard edition book jacket. All in all, it was a FANTASTIC read - I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I am going to read it again very soon, and be impatiently awaiting Book 6. Anyone who is fascinated with the Harry Potter world will definitely need to get their hands on this book!
Rating:
Summary: Good book with great info, although not the same as the GoF
Review: After the thrilling conclusion of Goblet of Fire, readers die to get their hands on the Order of the Phoenix. But the highly expected drama and battle doesn't come. While the rumor of a powerful weapon lurks throughout the pages almost guarentees a good fight, nothing comes of it. While Harry ended as a hero and conquerer in the Goblet of Fire, he is now dragged through the mud and his findings discredited. Finally at the end of the book he is brought back into good light and the book ends in almost the same situation as the fourth book. The book does give useful insight into the plot of the series and does have a strong emotional tug. Although Harry seems to be miserable the whole book, however mood swings are expected as Harry grows through his teenage years. Don't expect the same level of activity as GoF, with the Triwizard tournament and all, and don't expect the same entangling plot developement like in the last few books that leads you through the scenes and places but leaves the ultimate explanation to the end of the book where it all fits together and leaves you thinking about how everything tied in. I believe that was the only lamentable drawback because the plot didn't have the huge suprises at the end, it was generally a maturing book for Harry (and a rough one). I recommend the book to anyone reading the Harry Potter series because it deepens the plot greatly and is a very good read, just expect a different kind of book than the Goblet of Fire.
| 
