Rating: 
Summary: Great Book! Wish number 6 was out already.
Review: I loved this book. It was amazing. I got it on Saturday afternoon and finished all 870 pages on sunday night. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. JK Rowling did a great job, as usual.
You know its a good book when you can get really into it. The entire time I was reading it, I was swearing silently at Dolores Umbridge, fearfully reading on as i wondered who would die, and asking myself what was behind that door in that hallway?
Throughout the book we meet new characters such as Tonks, Mundungus, Kingsley, Luna, and Kreacher. All of these people have their own interesting stories and add to Rowling's rich and detailed plot.
Harry has finally decided to act his age: 15. He's moody, he's confused by girls (that won't end EVER), and he wants to be acknowledged by the adults as not a child who needs their help and care. But he does. He needs that one person in his life, who unfortunately, does not make it through the entire book.
HP:5 even touches on some life lessons, such as to always stick to your gut and that racism is bad.
870 pages, is long, yes, but every single page is worth your time and your effort. I truly suggest reading this book.
Rating: 
Summary: The best Potter yet
Review: J.K. Rowling continues her addictive saga in the best Potter installment yet, where Harry returns to his fifth year at Hogwarts after some frightening things show up at Privet Drive that are definitely of the wizarding world. Harry manages an escape and stumbles into the Order of the Phoenix: those working undercover who are determined to stop You-Know-Who and protect the target of his wrath, Harry himself.Even Hogwarts isn't a safe haven. Both Harry and Dumbledore have been publically derided by the media and the Ministry of Magic for claiming Harry saw You-Know-Who at the TriWizard Tournament the previous year, but the wizarding government is too afraid to acknowledge the Dark Lord's return and instead assumes Dumbledore is trying to sow strife in order to overthrow the Ministry. Factions divide, and suddenly Harry realizes his headmaster's speech on the importance of standing united against a dark terror is as important - and fruitless - as ever. I absolutely loved this book. Unlike Book Four, which got tedious at times, I breezed through Book Five and was sad to see it end. The most intriguing thing about Harry is, he's a bit of an anti-hero here: never have I seen him more angry, more frightened, and yet so brave (and so often confined to detention for his outbursts of rage). But if you're looking for a gung-ho hero, look elsewhere. Harry's only fifteen: he doesn't find it fair that he has to deal with murdering madman ... and how does one ask a girl out, anyway? Or pass his fifth year at Hogwarts, when his grades count more than ever towards a future career? I'ts not fair, and he resents it. Many past characters return and quite a few new ones make introductions, including a mad house-elf and a punk witch whose appearance I loved. J.K. Rowling makes you think, because the book eerily parodies much of the world events going on, especially a Grand High Inquisitor who overtakes Hogwarts and uses physical punishment, a nasty smile, and governmental power to shut up anyone who dares contradict the Ministry. "Half-breeds" are rounded up for questioning. "Unsatisfactory" reading material is banned. In a laughable attempt to keep anyone from using their powers against the Ministry, the Defense Against the Dark Arts students are forbidden from actually practicing their techniques until their final exams; they have to read and memorize everything from a book, a move which ironically leaves them defenseless against any real danger. And through it all, Harry wonders why none of the adults - particularly Dumbedore - will tell him anything. Secrets abound, and Harry's upset that he can't seem to find the truth anywhere. I think it's an eerie - but accurate - reflection of the world's current events, a morality tale from J.K. Rowling without the sugary sweetness and one that's quite a wild ride. Her imagination is refreshing even after five novels: if you thought she'd already revealed every odd, off-kilter aspect of the magical world, think again. While the book is still frightening for younger children, it's not as graphic as Book Four turned out to be (I had to skim a certain part near the end of Book Four because it really was graphic and I couldn't read it word-for-word). Still, I'd read Book Five over before reading it to young children. While it can be graphic at times, the series - and this book in particular - show the importance of loyalty, friendship, and a pure heart, and I believe it's too important to gloss over with kids.
Rating:
Summary: Potter enters Puberty
Review: In the 5th book of the Harry Potter series, Rowling concentrates on an atmospheric description of life after the return of Lord Voldemort. Chief conflict dividing the wizarding world (and the Weasley family) is whether to believe the Ministry of Magic's assurances that Harry Potter and Dumbledore are mistaken, alarmist doomsayers out for admiration and personal power, or to believe the ridiculed parties themselves and face the most unpleasant news. Among Dumbledore's supporters in the Order of the Phoenix are Sirius, Lupin, and the Weasley parents. Their chief antagonist is the new, ministry-appointed Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, who supplants Dumbeldore as headmistress and establishes an Orwellian rule at Hogwarts.
Much room is also given to Harry's feelings of loneliness and rebellion against authority, including the new headmistress, the father figures Dumbledore and Sirius, as well as his friends. Cho Chang, who aroused Harry's interest by the end of book 4, keeps him in further emotional turmoil. While the descriptions are atmospheric and tight, foreshadowing a life under Voldemort, and the teenage tantrums and emotional roller coasters are vivid an well-written, the book does not have the tight, action-filled plot of, for example, book 4. It is only in the last 3rd of the massive tome that the speed of events picks up to a fulminant confrontation, in which one of the main characters dies at the hands of Voldemort's supporters. The connection between Harry and Lord Voldemort is further explained by Dumbledore, as well as the necessity for his stays with the Dursleys. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a good book, which sacrificed the possibility of being great to the in-depth exploration of teen angst and emotional ups and downs.
Rating:
Summary: the anguish of adolescence
Review: ...I found myself distressed as I read of Harrys angst through the initial chapters. As I continued, however, I started to remember my own troubled experience of being 15. J.K. Rowling absolutely NAILS this difficult stage of growing up. My affinity for Harry deepened as I accelerated my reading through the chapters. Great fiction is defined, in my mind, as a set of charcters struggling with timeless themes that are universal in their appeal to us all. I held my breath as I re-lived my first kiss, my resentment of my paternal figures and the awkwardness of being 15. If anything, Harry came more alive to me in his confusion, anger and angst in this 5th chapter of the series. I can't immagine the pressure, as a writer, to constantly surpass the expectation of a series so widely heralded as the Harry Potter series. Yet, Ms. Rowling seems not only to have met but exceeded her previous marks. As an appreciative reader - my heartiest Thank You! for creating and sustaning this serial adventure.
Rating:
Summary: A great continuation of the tale . . .
Review: I was one of those many, many people who attended a HP party at midnight on Friday. I am a big HP fan and couldn't wait to see what happened next. Book 5 is good. I thought the story took a little while to get started, but the early going provided some good teasers (involving Aunt Petunia) and other details that are sewn up nicely by the end. But once it gets moving, there's quite a ride ahead. In his fifth year, Harry is understandably angry, and questioning his lot in life. Anyone who's ever raised a teenager can feel for him as he tries to nail down his identity, all the while dealing with jealousy among friends, a first crush, new responsibilities, and the dreaded O.W.L.s, which will literally help determine his future. The new characters are interesting and I hope to learn more about them in the last two books. J.K. Rowling does take us to new wizard places, as promised. And her descriptions are full of the intricate details we're used to, details that put us smack dab in Harry's world. There are more than a few scary moments and, as many know, the tragic death of someone close to Harry. Much is explained about how Harry has arrived at this point in his life. Dumbledore's speech to Harry at the end was touching and worth the wait. It validated the relationship between Harry and Dumbledore that I always expected existed. OoP will not go down as my favorite Harry Potter book, but it was worth every page!
Rating:
Summary: The best, darkest, most complex book in the series.
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a true testament to a masterful author at the top of her craft. I was totally absorbed by this book, and for a day and a half I did little else. Once again J.K Rowling delivers a carefully paced plot with new mysteries, plot twists, surprises and remarkable deft characterization. A more complex, more personally meaningful, and certainly more violent book, Order of the Phoenix delivers everything Rowling's fans have come to expect from her and more.
Rating:
Summary: It seemed more like a Fanfic....
Review: Though I, a 16 year old female, adore Harry Potter and I couldn't wait for OotP, I found myself wondering whether JK didn't just pull this off a fan fiction site. With new characters, new settings and (somewhat) new problems, OotP seemed more like something teens would write. Harry did grow up, which I enjoyed greatly. He even (kinda) acts on his feelings for Cho, though she seems to do most of the acting. Hermione actually tries to help Harry, which surprised me since I believed she liked him (she kissed his cheek at the end of GoF, remember?) Ginny dates someone besides Harry (gasp!) and seems to no longer have a crush on the Boy-who-Lived. Someone dies only a few chapters away from the end, and since there were a vast amount of people in the 'battle' scene, I wanted to skip it and just find out in the following few chapters who died. Sadly, it was one of my favorite characters and I cried when Harry described the death. The whole book had a dark tone to it; getting kicked off the Quidditch team, not make prefect, having to take private classes from Snape, teaching over 2 dozen kids DADA, Dumbledore not speaking to him, dealing with a (in my opinion, snotty) jealous Cho and preparing for OWLS, Harry had a lot to worry about. All in all, I believe PoA was her best written piece, or perhaps GoF, but OotP is a must-have in order to start finishing off the 7-book set. Hopefully the 6th one won't seem so out-of place, but chances are it will. ~Katie
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the wait and the read
Review: I had high hopes for this fifth book in the series. I've been a fan of the stories, but after the fourth book found myself, like many readers, feeling as though Harry was a bit of a poser. He was getting too much help, not taking his wizarding seriously, and not possessed of much magical talent that could be ascribed directly or exclusively to Harry. Sure, he could fly like a whiz, but none of the promise of Harry's real power was realized. It seems that Ms. Rowling had some of these concerns in mind when writing or re-writing many elements of this novel. Harry starts to come into his own, learns a great deal more about himself and the wizarding world around him, and displays some of the promise that has been lacking in the third and fourth installments of the series. We start to see Harry as we want him to be, more assured, more powerful, more alive. Lots of action, some interesting new characters, the undercurrent of ministerial distrust to keep even adults interested, and a lot of fun make this Harry Potter installment well worth the wait. It's tough to put down. If you love Harry Potter, you'll love this book. If you started to wonder if Harry was ever going to amount to anything, this book will start to satisfy you. If you hate Harry, this book has enough social commentary about life in a political bureaucracy to make you grin. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: This is probably one of the best in the HP series! I won't spoil anything for the readers but I'll tell you that this story is so much more emotional than the previous books. The consequences are much more permanent and many characters from the previous books reappear and some have much larger roles. This book was worth the wait and I can't wait til book 6 comes out! Any fan of HP should get this now! Excellent!!
Rating:
Summary: WHAT A RIDE!!!
Review: It was worth the wait! J.K. Rowlings does not disappoint! 800+ pages that went all too fast. This is by far the best installment of the Harry Potter series, and my only complaint is that now I read it too fast, and have now face a long, agonizing wait for book six. For those nay-sayers who doubted kids would read such a big book, I say, check out the libraries, and parks, and count the little noses that have yet to look up. My 8 year old niece, and several of her friends were at an all weekend Potter-Party, and imagine 8 little girls sitting around in pajamas... BEING QUIET because they were all reading. And more than that... they were 'discussing' the plot, the story line... analyzing character motivations . . . 8 year olds!
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