Rating: 
Summary: A masterpiece for all ages!
Review: This book (and series) should rank up there with Lord of the Rings and the Wizard of Oz - it is that well written! Reviews have said that the first 125 pages are just filler, but this is not so - surprises and secrets happen from the first page. It is great to be one of the first readers of a writer that will go down in history as one of the "greats" of literature authors. A Grand Toast to Ms. Rowling!
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Summary: All I can say is WOW!
Review: This is in some ways the best and in other ways the worst of the 5 books so far..... No spoilers, but as one editiorial review said, this is the darkest book of the 5. But I couldn't put it down and read it all in 1 weekend. Now, I breathlessly await book 6 and can only hope it won't be 3 years until then! But, Order of the Phoenix was well worth the wait, ever word true to the form/style of the other 4 books. Overall, I loved it! Highly recommended!
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Summary: now, i can't wait for the 6th one
Review: i found this book to be excellent. rowling has done it again using the twists and turns that always surprise the reader. i don't want to write anything that will give anything away, but you have to read this book! now begins the wait for the 6th book. well, it will give me time to read the first 5 many more times. YAY!
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Summary: The wizardry is back again...
Review: Amazingly enough, J.K. Rowling manages to put it all together in this fifth book in the series, and make it the best one of all five. Harry, the main character, is a pretty angry and pretty accurate teenager of fifteen. I could tell how accurate because it brought back a whole lot of memories and feelings from my own sophomore year in high school. Like most teenagers, his world and his destiny is not under his control, and he knows it. Yet by the end of the book, he's matured enough to take on new responsibilities and face his destiny. And what a destiny it is! Characterization is wonderful, with his supportive friends neither stealing the show nor sinking out of site. There are some very telling comments on government controlled education, that were thought provoking. The death of a major support in Harry's life is handled quickly, but well, with enough comfort in the end for Harry's life to go on. In fact, I really enjoyed the subtle way it was suggested that even in this fantasy world, there are questions and inquiries about an after-life. This book is intense, enjoyable and not simplistic for adults. And yet, I have already started reading it to my younger kids, who also feel the same. Definitely worth the wait!
iv (Ravenclaw '75, Yale '79)
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Summary: A Magic that Will Captivate All its Readers
Review: Once again Rowling has blown the whole world of Harry Potter readers away. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix has all the necessary ingredients to make the perfect story for all ages. Harry now fifteen years old faces his most difficult year at Hogwarts yet; he is filled with mixed feelings from the Ministry of Magic to his unstable girlfriend, Cho. I do feel that younger children may get confused or lost in the long story, but older children will see the magic around every corner. There seem to be three sides in this book, not just the usual good and evil, the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord are as you know the most evil, next up is the Ministry of Magic who refuse to believe that He is back, and then the Order of the Phoenix. While you read the book you can see that it is almost as if the Ministry have become as evil as the Dark side. Enter, Professor Umbridge, this nasty, old hag is responsible for adding to Harry's already big pile of homework with daily detentions, making a bad Quidditch team, and wrecking part of the schools security with Dumbledore. But, you do have to love them; Fred and George give the school some fun that is surely is stuff of a Hogwarts Legend. Though this book has a bit of comedy, it sure does have more than a cup of drama, as one dearly beloved character leaves us forever. All in all this is one book that you should not skip reading, I am sure that Mrs. Rowling's reading will keep you forever enchanted.
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Summary: The best one yet
Review: Despite reviews saying that this 5th book was a slow starter I opened my copy with much haste on June 21st. As usual Rowling captures the reader from the first page and you immediately forget the gap between this and it's predecessor's release. Sure enough you have just under 200 pages before we revisit Hogwarts, but this is no bad thing. This time is needed away from Hogwarts to fully understand the state of Harry's mind and outlook on life. His outbursts at being kept in the dark from the wizardry world during the summer break result in a boy who finds himself pent up with such frustration that it leads to self pitying thoughts, rather than detracting from Harry's character I believe they give more dimension to Harry's character and on the whole make him more real, and therefore more likeable. Dumbledore keeps a low profile in this book but as usual the knowledge that he's at Hogwarts provides Harry as well as his readers with a security blanket. We meet the teachers once more with Snape still delightfully condescending and cold. The new arrival at Hogwarts is the Ministry's' Dolores Umbridge; and she is brilliantly written. She makes Snape seem like a choirboy in comparison, but look out for some fabulous put downs from her fellow teachers. Of course the evil Voldemore is still lurking unseen in the background and worse than this fact is that hardly anyone believes it, and this point is really the crux of this story. Not only are the Order of the Phoenix fighting against an undercover Voldemort but they are fighting for the support of their fellow Wizards. Sit back relax, close the doors and enjoy.
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Summary: the BEST book ever!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This book has everything. Sometimes scary, sometimes funny. I got mine and I couldn't put it down. This book is worth every dollar you spend on it. Buy Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoniex today!
Rating: 
Summary: Darkness is Rising...
Review: Hmm... (or maybe even hem, hem, as the vile Prof. Umbridge would say), I'd have to say that this long-awaited offering is a rather uneven achievement. The character development is good, and there are plenty of new scenarioes, but I found this book a little slow-burning; it wasn't until about page 200 I felt JK was getting into her stride. The really strange thing is her attempt to woo her 'adult' audience with darker-than-ever subject, descriptions and overall tone, but still use kid's language. Some scenes in the book (particularly Harry's detentions) are disturbing, and perhaps not altogether suitable for younger readers. And then there's the issue of the much publicised death: I refuse to give the victim away, so not to spoil the book, but can't help feeling both upset and angry since aforementioned character is one of my very fabourites. OP lacks plot and direction in places. The previous books all had an object: 1 the fight for the Stone, 2 trying to work out who/what was opening the Chamber of Secrets, 3 Sirius's break out and the revelation that the bad guy was infact good and 4 the Triwizard Contest. Here there were no such pointers, and it felt as though 650 pages were spent meandering waiting for Voldemort (who in my personal opinion is the weak link in the HP mythos). The customary bash-bang-wallop near the book's close wasn't as suspenseful, either. It doesn't have the fun of the other books. This might seem like a lame accusation to make, especially now it's moving into more serious, mature territory, but I sorely missed the... warm, glowing essence of Hogwarts. Harry spends the vast majority of this book hating Hogwarts, and wishing he could leave- meaning the tone for the entire book was angry and bitter, and making a reader thoroughly depressed. I read out of loyalty to the series, but I must say some of the magic has gone.
Rating:
Summary: Take your time. It's too good to rush through!
Review: I won't give anything away in this review, but "Order of the Phoenix" is excellent. It's easily the darkest novel yet, and Harry has become more human as he hits adolescence full-on, which makes him more endearing. He's a moody and sometimes frustrating character. He is also asked to handle more than he's ever had to before, and this novel becomes a big rite of passage for him. The plot is pretty involved and the atmosphere is more edgy, but there are still wonderful moments of humor, magic and triumph. Be ready for an intense climax that is extremely suspenseful; everybody is fair game and one of them - though I'm still in mourning and denial about this myself - falls in battle. The vile Umbridge character is one of Rowling's most vivid antagonists for Harry, and Ron and Hermione feature largely. Hagrid, Dumbledore and McGonagall seem to get a little less face time this round, while non-teachers Lupin, Sirius and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley get a little more, though all seven have immensely integral parts to play. If the final pages of the book are bittersweet, it is not only because the plot has taken us there; I didn't want the story to end, and must now go back and start reading the books all over again. It is now nostalgiac for us (and Harry) to recall that magical first year of discovery, as in this novel he grows amidst support and adversity, happiness and loss, and comes to terms with news that means Books 6 and 7 are going to be just as exciting, heartbreaking and rewarding as this one. Try to read it as slow as you can, folks. Books this good only come along every three years.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the wait!
Review: I devoured this book in one night. I'd told myself I would read it little by little but once I started I couldn't stop. All I can say is that it is phenomenal. As I was reading I felt everything he felt. The anxiety of being left in the dark at the beginning, the anger at how unfairness of how he was being treated, and the confusion at everything from his budding romance with Cho to the strange dreams he has. I was afraid that I was going to be left hanging for a while, but most questions were answered. I was left satisfied but waiting for the next one. The death was a surprise because I was expecting somebody else. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are becoming formidable wizards. Rowling really lets us have it with this one. Her books get better and better. The younger kids might not like it as much but she's sure to gain some new older fans. You won't be able to put the book down!
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