Rating: 
Summary: Harry Potter is Back with the Order of the Phoenix!!!
Review: Yes, finally, Harry Potter is back, Bigger and Better then ever before. June 21st 2003 was a day celebrated by Harry Potter Fans across the world. It had been over 2 years since the last episode in Harry Potter's life at Hogwart's had been published with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. But finally Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has created history with fans around the world.Harry Potter is back for his fifth year at Hogwarts at the hormonal age of 15. Potter has to deal with his own physical and mental changes as well as those of Wizardry. Being taken out of his magical element, Harry Potter has to try and cope with his outbursts of rage and his ever changing self to even hope of surviving and graduating the year at Hogwarts. Suddenly, Harry Potter's dreams become more frequent, with large hallways and closed doors and the scar on his head is becoming ever more painful with flashes of green light appearing. But could this be Potter's growth into adulthood or even more sinister means? What evil plot could be dwelling this year at Hogwarts to terminate Harry Potter forever and give Voldemort his rise to power? There's only one way to find out and that's enter the world no Muggles know of, Hogwarts! J.K Rowling had the idea of Harry Potter on the train from Manchester to London where Harry Potter 'just strolled into my head fully formed'. By the time she arrived at King's Cross, many of the characters had taken shape. During the next five years she outlined the plots for each book and began writing the series in linear order. And so novel and publishing history was made. Harry Potter and J.K Rowling have immortalised themselves among some of the greats. J.R.R Tolkien and Middle Earth, Lewis Carroll and Wonderland and C.S Lewis and Narnia. Each author and book (in its own right) has transported its reader into a completely magical and believable world which can make even the most pessimistic person escape the world of reality. Harry Potter has opened new doors for the world of literature as it is the fastest selling book to date and is still on the rise. The greatest concept behind the Harry Potter series is that kids can really relate to what is happening. For instance, every child wants the call to adventure, to find out that they're someone famous and/or special. Rowling also expands on the idea by actually making Harry Potter evolve from an adolescent to a young adult. Children can see that they also aren't alone when hitting the highs and lows of human change. But Harry Potter isn't just for children, adults have also taken a liking to the writing skills shown by Rowling as her sly wit and attention to detail and plot really make Harry Potter the phenomenon it is today. With reading becoming the 'In' thing with children like it was in the past, Rowling can only be praised for prying children away from the Television sets to expand their imagination and literary skills. This can easily be proven with the fact that the book is 896 pages long and children are rising to the challenge everywhere and the book is selling like hot cakes. I think its excellent that children around the world can expand their own intellect with a healthy medium such as Harry Potter (unless you disapprove of fictional 'Black Magic'). Do yourself a favour and purchase this fantastic book, even if your new to the series or disliked the movies (the books eclipse the films). Start reading and get transported with the likes of many others to the world of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You too will be counting down the days to the next instalment of Harry Potter!
Rating: 
Summary: Dark, No "Goblet," but a quick read
Review: This is by far the darkest book in the Potter series, with rays of light few and far between. Everything in the book keeps getting bleaker, from Harry's standing at Hogwarts to relations with friends to Voldemort's rise, and so forth. The challenges presented to Harry are an onslaught of the supernatural (dementor attacks, prophetic dreams) and the adolescent (homework, standardized tests, mood swings). Poor Harry! It's a true page-turner, and I obsessively thumbed through the book the weekend of its release, but it was tough to enjoy. Partly, this is because it was darker (even though this seems to be fueled by Rowling's merited and not too subtle takes on education, government, the media, and other hot button issues). Yet I also wanted more from the set-up from "Goblet of Fire," a truly remarkable book, which had several great cliffhangers. Perhaps more of those will develop in the last two books, which should see quite a bit of action (a battle scene toward the end of Book 5 should make for a great movie sequence - I'd imagine directors are lining up as I write this). The book holds its own, and it's a quick read. Bring on Book 6 - I'm ready for it.
Rating:
Summary: The only Harry Potter I thought I wasn't enjoying
Review: When i first started reading the book i felt that it was too dismal. But as i kept reading i thought that the tone would pick up, but after a while i realized that the book was supposed to show the hardships of being a teenager and that was why the tone was changed so drastically from the books before it. I felt that the death though was unnessary, but i have to hand it to Ms.Rowling, i wasn't expecting that person to die. I would definatly say that this is a must read, if you enjoyed the first four you'll like this one. So good luck, it may look like a long book, but it is a "quick" read for the true Harry Potter fans.
Rating:
Summary: A Little More is Revealed
Review: Well, The Order of the Phoenix has been a long time coming, and I think most people will agree that it was worth the wait simply to be with Harry, Ron and Hermione at Hogwart's once again. To bide the time, we've all been reading volumes 1 - 4 over and over again, and it's a relief to have some fresh material! J.K. Rowling is still able to charm us with her descriptions of the delightful mysteries of Hogwarts, and we do get more of an in-depth look at wizard academics since Harry is now in his fifth year and will take his O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). These are the least of his worries, however, in the midst of Lord Voldemort's further rise to power, the development of the Order of the Phoenix, and the placement of a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor by an increasingly unsympathetic Ministry of Magic. Bulging, toad-like Professor Umbridge is the fifth new Defense against the Dark Arts professor, and most of the book is actually devoted to her reign of administrative terror at Hogwarts and less to building up fear and anxiety of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Though definitely satisfying, the fifth volume is more descriptive and not as action-packed and imaginative as the Goblet of Fire which culminated in a hair-raising duel between Harry and Voldemort. However, readers who were asking for more details of school life will be pleased. It seems more like the "middle" novel, which is what I would have expected the fourth to be, but its purpose is to answer some important questions: What specifically ties Harry and Voldemort together?
What is the Prophecy?
What does Dumbledore reveal to Harry that he should have revealed years ago? And for those who have been left dangling at Rowling's teaser: WHO dies? (If you read carefully enough, you'll be able to predict this in the earlier part of the book) The revelations are not breath-taking, but they do stretch out our current knowledge and prepare us for the real drama which will hopefully take place in volumes six and seven. The tone of the book is a bit different. Evil does come even more uncomfortably close to Harry, but it is not a darker tone that makes the book different. It's the fact that Harry's growing up and starting to suffer through adolescent angst. He's got more of a rebellious temper in this volume and is no longer the sweet, quieter Harry of the first volume. Can't say that we blame him, he's been through quite a lot and it's not over yet. Part of growing up involves the realization that parents are capable of mistakes. Harry accidentally finds this out through special "Occlumency" lessons with his most dreaded teacher, Snape, who hates Harry just as much as he ever has. A more fun part of growing up involves a first kiss, and Harry goes through all of the awkward, embarrassing and hopeful moments leading up to it. Nevertheless, despite these changes, we can still depend on Hermione's obsessive studying and clever help (although she's still involved in S.P.E.W.), Ron's faithful friendship, the antics of Fred and George, and the grandfatherly support of Dumbledore whose wisdom and lawyerly wits in this volume ultimately save Harry and Hogwart's from a great deal of trouble. However, the full range of Voldemort's wrath has yet to be released in books six and seven. At least we now have over 850 pages to read over and over again until book six comes out....
Rating:
Summary: Amazing! The best yet!
Review: I finally managed through the whopping 870 pages, and I must say that the events that transpire are unbelievable. Quite sad about Sirius though. Perhaps we will hear more about him in a future book, though he was a favorite character of mine.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing! The best so far!
Review: I got this book on Saturday and have been reading it on and off since, although it has been difficult to put it down. In any case, I was amazed by the events that transpired. I am quite sorry about Sirius though, perhaps we will be able to see him in a future book, but it isn't very probable, is it?
Rating:
Summary: YELLING AND LONG
Review: I enjoyed the book for the most part. I would give it a 7.5 out of 10. The problem I had with it was, I think, JK Rowling could have cut out some of the pages - about 150 of them. Harry is justifiably angry throughout the book but the YELLING/WHINING got a bit old. Dumbledore doesn't help him, in my opinion or Harry's opinion, or doesn't give him the emotional boost he usually does. I like what she did with George and Fred Weasley and Harry and the D.A. I think THAT professor for the Dark Arts should have been torn limb from limb by Grawl, but that's just me. I'm sorry who dies but I'm glad it wasn't one of the kids. Draco Malfoy could have gone with his father. I know that books 6 and 7 will be the culmination of Harry, Hogwarts, Dumbledore, et al. I certainly hope that Draco gets everything that he has coming to him three fold.
Rating:
Summary: A great new addition to the Harry Potter series.
Review: I read the Order of the Phoenix starting early Saturday morning finishing just before Sunday. It was so good I could not put it down. Harry continues to grow up and the issues in the book become more and more complex. Harry is having nightmares about a hallway that he can never seem to quite get through. He also has some romantic entanglements that become quiet difficult, especially for a 15 year old. Unfortunately death also occurs in this book. I won't spoil the dreadful surprise of who dies, but it is a main character. All in all if you enjoyed the other harry potter books, especially goblet of fire you will love this one. Rowling continues to ignore the literary worlds ideas that books must be made for certain groups (elementary kids, young adults, adults, etc.) and makes a book that is exciting for all ages. This book left me with one very important question...when does the next harry potter book come out? I have read she has already begun the next book, so hopefully fans will not have to wait long.
Rating:
Summary: Well Worth the Wait
Review: The Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort has returned and Harry Potter is on pins and needles anticipating news of a catastrophe. But nothing is happening, that he can tell. In fact, not even his closest friends are telling him anything, although he knows they're involved in a resistance movement, The Order of the Phoenix. By the time his fifth year at Hogwarts starts, Harry is frustrated with everything and steaming mad. The situation is only worsened by the fact that half the Wizarding world thinks Harry's bonkers and the Ministry of Magic is determined to deny the Dark Lord's return. The appointment of a Ministry official bent on suppressing free speech as the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher puts Hogwarts in a turmoil. Meanwhile, Harry suffers a series of dreams that point to a mysterious connection with Voldemort himself. This is an incredible book with a riveting story populated by many characters: old and new,likable and despicable. The humour is less pronounced and the tone is much darker than any of the Potter books so far. Much of the content involves people in power abusing their authority in particularly malicious, self righteous ways which makes _Order of the Phoenix_ quite painful to read at times. It made me really remember what it was like to be fifteen, no longer a child yet not an adult, having to learn diplomatic behavior in situations where one would rather lash out and never feeling as though one is being taken seriously when it matters. Rowling did a number of things with this book that surprised me as well as many things I expected from foreshadowing in previous volumes. I am continually impressed with her foreshadowing, actually -- having recently reread the entire series, I saw that she actually hinted at some of the happenings here very early on. Some villains finally get theirs, some unfortunately don't. Some people wake up to what's going on; some you've still got to wonder about. The action-packed denoument was thrilling -- one of the best I've read anywhere. The romance angle was well written, painting a painfully accurate picture of the awkwardness that comes between fifteen-year-old girls and boys. But I didn't think there was quite enough of it, actually -- it seemed kind of tacked on for form's sake. Also the much touted death of a central character was not as affecting as I had hoped. I expected Rowling to make a less safe, more poignant choice. Some of the content of this book is very intense and I have real doubts as to whether Potter fans under the age of eleven or twelve will appreciate the current volume as much as they have the last four. I think parents can expect a lot of questions. On the other hand, adolescent readers will probably find _Order of the Phoenix_ the most relevant book yet! Despite a few flaws, _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_ is a definite five star book, well worth the wait. I'm already panting for book six! I hope I don't have to wait another three years!
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Review: This fifth book to the Harry Potter series did all the previous books justice. The book was delivered to my house Friday morning (oops!) and I wasn't able to put it down all weekend and finished it Sunday evening. This book actually made me laugh outloud at certain part and during other parts it made me sad at what was unfolding. I noticed in this book though that Harry seemed like a darker character, not so upbeat anymore, I guess not a child anymore. Harry's darkened attitude seemed to foreshadow the upcoming events and choices he made in the story and the fact that he and Voldemort are more connected than anyone realized. I have to say I thouroughly enjoyed this novel. The drama is definitely unfolding at Hogwarts and in Harry's life and it will take the last two books of the series to conclude this amazing story. Thank you J.K. Rowling for another amazing adventure into the life of Harry Potter and his "family".
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