Rating: 
Summary: Simply amazing
Review: Three years is a very long time to wait. When dealing with this superb series, it could even be labled as the widest case of cruel and unusual punishment ever inflicted unto this earth.But three years seems as almost no time at all when you start reading the Order of the Phoenix. Let me then be the first to say that this book is simply amazing. Never before has it happened to me that right after reading it I had the greatest of urges to re-read it again and again. Reading the book in less than two days i can safely say that it is by far the best one yet. I recommend this book to anyone who can read, any age anywhere, but take my advise, read it slowly, you'll experience the magic for longer.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest of the Series
Review: Before the much anticipated release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I wondered if this book would be very good. Although I thought Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was good I didn't feel it was the best in the series and it felt rushed(however it's still a great book). I wondered if the Fifth installment had the same fault as well(not so much rushed but not well written). I was mistaken....This book has now become my favorite of the series and of children's liturature currently. Unlike the previous Harry Potter books, it takes no time at all to bring about the action and within the first chapter you're hooked. The book had a wonderful flow and I am glad Ms. Rowling took three years to write it. I couldn't put it down and I finished it last night(June 22nd). The ending is bittersweat but I won't say anything more about that... I was also very shocked when the character who shall remain nameless died. He/She was one of my favorites and I will be very sad that he/she will be absent from the final two books.
Among other things, those of you who hate Lucius Malfoy will be momentarily happy and also those of you who hate Cornelius Fudge will be, somewhat, satisfied... I also developed a new favorite(not most-favorite but favorite none-the-less) character--Professor McGonagall!
Anyway, bottom line is that this is by far the best book of the series and you should definately buy it! By the way, the reason it's not longer that 870 pages is because the font size was reduced from 12 point to 11.5 point font. So if it were 12 point it would probably be about 1000 pages...
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the wait
Review: I can't emphasize enough the thrill I got when The Order of the Phoenix finally arrived in my mailbox on Saturday. In a way, I was terrified to read it- so much has been building up, so many expectations. But it is now read and finished on my bedside table. And I loved every word of it. It is incredibly difficult to write a convincing review without giving out spoilers. Phoenix has been called time and time again, "the darkest one yet." I mean, that fits and everything, but it can give the wrong impression. Dark themes, monsters, and characters have been a part of Harry Potter since Book 1. It's just that Phoenix takes it to a different level. It becomes just as much of an internal struggle as well. There are many new emotions and problems Harry has to wrap his brain around. Be it the confusing ways of girls, or horrible dreams that come true, or a blazing temper he is hard-pressed to control, Harry has finally arrived in the world of teenage angst. Call me crazy, but Harry's temper tantrums are some of my favorite parts in the book. So many things come crashing down in his world, and when he starts talking in all-capitals...I can totally relate. My adrenaline starts pumping, and I only wish I was by his side to yell with him. Book 5 isn't just about emotions (although they do play a bigger part than in any of the other books). Rowling still manages to surprise us with new characters, new faces, new creatures, and new plot twists. As an internet junkie who has pored over predictions and guesses for Phoenix, I can safely say that there are enough surprises in this book for anyone to do a double-take at least once. That's another thing about this book, the mystery and suspense. I've heard some newspaper critics say that the book is long-winded because it throws little jolts in at the end of every chapter(to the point that it becomes predictable), under the pretense of keeping the reader interested. Honestly. What is wrong with not being able to put a book down? I love the small torture of having to stop reading right when it gets good, in order to eat dinner(something that seems so insignificant after reading Harry's adventures). Book 5 is Rowling's best yet. If it can take Prisoner of Azkaban off of the top of my list, it's obvious I was blown away. And yes, I cried my eyes out when that certain character died.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy addition to the series!
Review: Hmmm . . . I don't want to say a whole lot, lest I give something away for someone who's as excited about reading this newest book as I was. I will say, though, that Book Five in the Harry Potter series is well worth both the price and the time involved in reading it (and at 870 pages, the time commitment is fairly substantial). Rowling continues her trend of writing an intelligent plot with just enough twists and turns to make it interesting, but not so many that the whole thing becomes totally implausible. (Well, as long as you can sustain that whole suspension of disbelief thing that makes Hogwarts possible for a few hours at a time). Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the characters are developed even further in this book, and there's additional backstory given for several characters, so their motivations and our understanding of them as people becomes clearer. Everything you've come to expect from the Harry Potter books is in this one. The amazing imagination of the author; her descriptive gift that somehow makes everything so plain that you feel like you could actually board the Hogwarts Express yourself and enter Harry's world if only you could procure the required invitation; her wonderful way of writing for children but not down to them, giving them (and their parents!) plenty of intellectual material to chew on . . . Buy this one! If you enjoy Harry Potter, then you'll be happy to own this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Story, Possibly another year would have done it good?
Review: Don't get me wrong, I love the Harry Potter series and I thought book 5 was excellent. It introduces a plethora of wonderful characters and creatures, but at the same time many things were unfinished. Certain pivotal scenes could have been better written, and plot points could be smoothed over still. The book was worth the wait and I liked it better than Goblet of Fire, but my favorite book still remains Prisoner of Azkaban.
Rating:
Summary: The boy grows up
Review: For me this fifth adventure is about opening our eyes to the characters in Harry Potter. Rowling forces us to stop looking at them through rose tinted glasses. They are growing up, and she is making us aware of how complex, ambiguous and difficult they can be. This book is depressing, but this is because we are being constantly challenged on our past preconceptions. We are forced to acknowledge that Harry is far from a perfect hero: he is flawed, angry, and impulsive. This is one of the reasons a loved character dies. As difficult as it is, Harry must accept some responsibility for the loss. Yet Harry's behaviour is understandable considering the life that he has had. More difficult to accept was the idea that Dumbledore has been making mistakes from book one. It was a brave move by the author to make characters we love so much so human, but she has succeeded. While I did not cry at the death scene, I did cry when Dumbledore admits that he had been wrong and misguided, and that the consequences had been severe. This book is short on humour, but the passion, love and dramatic mistakes everyone constantly is prone to reveals a brilliant, difficult, heart- wrenching fifth instalment.
Rating:
Summary: Dark Days Ahead
Review: This book was a great one, just like I expected, but it was much more serious and dark also. I don't think it is really for kids anymore. While reading it I came across words that I didn't even know. It is not a happy book really, like the others. Be prepared that after you read it you might be quite sad, and have to sulk for a bit. But that might just be that you're sad you've finished it. I would put this in middle school and up, it is too adult for nine and ten year olds now.
Rating:
Summary: A source of strength.
Review: I must admit, this Harry Potter book took me by surprise with its rather dark and foreboding tone. It seems Harry hasn't completely recovered from the trauma he experienced at the end of last year. He is very short with his friends, Ron and Hermione, and his anger is always ready to explode at anyone who crosses him. To top it off, few people believe his story of what happened to Cedric. If anything, his present school situation is just making him feel worse. He is loaded with work from all classes to prepare him for his O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) exams. Dumbledore seems to have forgotten all about him and worst of all, a sadistic and evil Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is tearing down the school from the inside. Yet Harry, through all this, still finds the strength to stand up to the injustice he sees all around him. He finds friends he didn't know he had (and they're not just in Gryffindor) who not only believe him, they want to learn from him. Come the threat of expulsion or imprisonment, he still stands. This kind of courage is something we all could use during difficult times in our life. This applies not only to children, but to adults as well. In these times of war, economic hardship and fear, we all could use the strength to stand up for what is right and the courage to find new ways of thriving. J.K. Rowling is truly and excellent writer and she has epitomized Harry in this courage. I recommend this book to anyone, young or old, who wishes to find strength you never knew about.
Rating: 
Summary: Some things explained other questions raised
Review: I red this book that I had been anticipating for some time with a mixture of excitement and drowsiness, which I guess comes of making a wal-mart run at midnight and reading until 4 A.M. then starting again 6 hours later. I thought that overall it was good, but not as good as book 4. It felt like throughout the series people were growing and changing, and yet either we took a step backwards or the people were always static. Of course some of the background characters have really matured and changed, like Neville, and some things we've been reading about in the other books finally pay off, but it almost feels like what is revealed in this book could and should have taken place in a much earlier novel. The beginning of the conflict between good and evil was sadly anticlimactic. However the talk between Harry and Dumbledore has some truly tense and interesting moments. While I truly enjoy the entire series, This one seems like the weak sister of the group.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter 5 lives up to the rest
Review: Want to know why your kids like these books so much? For the first time, kids gets to see themselves portrayed realistically. The kids in these books aren't just cutesy, adorable sidekicks and comic relief. These kids have real emotions and are involved in real life situations, like crushes and feeling alienated/alone. The fantasy portion of these books are much more the side story, while Harry and his friends learning to cope with real life situations is the real story. These aren't just books for kids either. Adults can enjoy, and relate, to the characters just as much as kids. If you haven't read these books yet, I highly suggest you do, whether your a kid or an adult.
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