Rating: Summary: Order Of the Phoenix Review: This fast moving book by JK Rowling is much darker and scarier that the ones before it. With a death and a lot of secrets being spilled the book is guarenteed to have you laughing then in fits of hysterical tears. Personally it took me 5 hours to read and I was crying for an hour at the end. Exellent book, best yet. Loved it. ***** 5 STARS.
Rating: Summary: Splendid! Review: Another standard of excellence by J.K. Rowling in this much anticipated Harry Potter sequel. Once again the reader is magically brought into the story... riveting! ...charming! ...splendid!
Rating: Summary: By Far the BEST in the series Review: Okay, I was a little wary at the size of the book due to the fact that GoF dragged on to no end. Seriously, I must be the only one who thought that the 4th book [was bad]. In the 4th, we discover that Voldemort is back and Dumbledore wants to get the 'old gang' back together'.The Order of the Pheonix. The number one thing I liked about this book was that we didn't have to hear for the fifth time 'Harry wasn't like other boys blah blah'. It cut right to the chase. And action it does bring. I'm going to try right this without spoiling this wonderful book. I read it all of saturday, Starting at 1 a.m. stopping at 2 am, then picking it back up at about 10 am, and it was off and on until 8 pm. Those last few hours were grippers, I was afraid I was going to break the book covor, I was in so much suspense. So, I'll give you a little list of things you'll read: 1. Neville...we salute you 2. Harry...you have much anger in you *remeber to use Yoda voice* 3. 'Weasley is our King!' 4. Those twins need to have a statue erected in their honor. 5. Professor Umbride. MUST. DIE!!! 6. Purebloods are screwed up. (We found out a ton of stuff on Sirius) 7. Snape, we actually feel remorse for you. You WERE right about Jamsie 8. Don't pay attention to Voldemort's wacky mind. 9. The Ginny/Tom thing is briefly covored!!! *dances a merry jig* finally... and numero 10....drumroll please.... All dogs go to heaven Well, I hope I didn't give too much away, I think this list might help. Kudos and Keep reading!!!
Rating: Summary: This is probably my favorite book of the series.... Review: I got the book early Saturday morning and couldn't put it down! OP definitely showed how Harry was changing and growing up. I was a little bit worried that with all the hype the book might be a dissapointment, but I shouldn't have worried! I loved seeing a more about how the Ministry and Hogwarts works and the personalities of the professors. I really enjoyed seeing how the books are changing as Harry grows up. I feel that I can relate to how Harry feels because it wasn't that long ago that I was 15...and I didn't have the added stress of having to save the world while I was figuring out relationships! It was also great finally seeing some of Dumbledore's power in relation to the other wizards. I mean, we've heard how powerful he is, but now we actually have proof! We also get to see his more human side. The fight at the end was great, and I was surprised by who Mrs Rowling decided to kill. Towards the end of the book I was also rather surprised and felt even more sorry for Harry. (But I wont be a spoiler. Read the book if you want to find out! *grin*) As I got to the last page, the only thing I could think of was "I can't wait until the next one"! While this book was darker and different from the others, it sets up the scene perfectly for the coming War and for the sixth and seventh books. In case you can't tell by my happy rambling, I love this book!
Rating: Summary: Amazing Review: THis is the best book I've ever read! I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter books, but they are nothing compared to this one. IT's too amazing!I don't want to ruin anything for you if you haven't read it so just READ IT!
Rating: Summary: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review: The newest installment in the Harry Potter series was far more gloomy than the previous four. It was 136 pages longer than the 4th book and written in 11.5 font instead of 12. Several of the adult heroes do not seem as awesome and great in this book, including James Potter, Dumbledore, and Sirius. Also, Harry attempts to delve into the advanced magic of Occlumency (to block Lord Voldemort from controlling him), and because of his failed efforts one of his closest companions dies. Also, Harry's relationship with Cho Chang takes numerous twists as he finds her very emotional about things he doesn't understand. Once again, house elves, especially Kreacher and Dobby, play a key role. Rating: 5 Stars Recommendation: Read it and hope the next one comes out in a week.
Rating: Summary: UNBELIEVABLE! Best book in the world! Review: Unbelievable. J.K. has outdone herself AGAIN, pulling Harry, his friends, and his fans (us pitiful Muggles) into a dark web of deceit, betrayal, and discovery. It's WONDERFUL! As Order of the Phoenix starts out, we are taken to Privet Drive in the middle of a deep drought, and we find Harry hidden in the begonia bush under the Dursleys' living room window, eavesdropping on the Muggle news, trying to get some clue, any clue, about Voldemort and what he's been up to while Harry is stuck with his Uncle Vernon, Anunt Petunia, and his cousin Dudley. Hermione, Ron, and Sirius have been ordered by no less than Dumbledore himself to tell him nothing in their letters, and Harry is becoming angry with his exclusion and his uncle and aunt's treatment of him. Harry is now fifteen, and we find that not only has the world grown darker, but Harry as well. In the book, he seems to be constantly tottering on the very edge of the "Dark Side," and we see him becoming increasingly resentful of the restrictions put on him by Dumbledore and the rest, and terrible, totally unpredictable things begin to happen to Harry in this book as he becomes more willful, outspoken, and determined to convince people of his truths and feelings, whether they be right or wrong. (No, I'm not just speaking of Voldemort's return!) Harry's connection to Voldemort grows frightfully in this volume of the series, and throughout the whole book he is haunted by a dream of a single, mysterious (in more ways than one) black door, as well as visions of himself as a deadly snake. A big part of what made this book so appealing to me, as a middle-schooler, I suppose, was the increased independency the students were forced to take when Hogwarts is infiltrated by the now-hostile Ministry of Magic-one of Fudge's own,in fact. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and even the other students, find that no longer are the teachers of Hogwarts the bosses of the school, and that any protection students had, they would have to make for themselves. As the book jacket says, Harry discovers a limitless loyalty and strength from his friends that ranges beyond what even he ever suspected, a capacity for patience, acceptance, and unbelievable and heart-wrenching sacrifice. There are quite a few unexpecteds in this book: lessons from Snape, a not quite romance, a new song from the Sorting Hat, a totally unsuspected connection (two, really), and someone becomes a teacher whom you would never, EVER have guessed. All in all, this was a GREAT book, the best. It takes you deeper and deeper into the increasingly darker side of Hogwarts, delving into both the bond and severages of trust, especially among families and friends, and both the advantages and the dangers of outsiders. Order of the Phoenix is, as a book, richer than Bill Gates, and I can only hope that the series continues like it has, getting better and better with each installment. On a somewhat darker note, despite all the book's favors, I seemed to sense something missing, especially at the ending. I didn't like the increasing distance between Harry and his friends, and the ending seemed somewhat...I don't know, It just seemed to be missing something. But still, just ignore this paragraph, because it was the greatest book you could ever hope to read, and I can't WAIT till the next one!
Rating: Summary: Not Up to the Hype Review: I was disappointed with this new addition to the fabulous series. Introduction of new characters was clumsy, some of the old characters developed pretty accurately for their ages, but some become "less" than they were before to the detriment of the story. I would recommend it as part of the series, but will hope that Ms. Rowling gets more of her crispness back in the remaining two stories.
Rating: Summary: Delightful! Review: I really enjoyed the fifth book of the Harry Potter series. All of the major characters are really beginning to evolve into adults and it's nice to see some of the supporting characters take on more important roles. It's not so much all about Harry. Harry must learn to be on the sidelines while his friends start to find their voices and their own talents. In any event, if you are new to the series, I would definitely not start with this book. However, if you have read the other 4, this book is of course, a must read.
Rating: Summary: Brief overview and commentary ... Review: Having discussed the forthcoming book with a number of people in the previous weeks, there appears to be a divide over those who prefer the earlier books, and those who prefer the latter. With the arrival of 'The Order of the Phoenix', I now feel most assured in placing myself in the latter category. To make the transition, with both the characters and the form of the books, from the very school-centred 'Philosopher's Stone' to the far more engaging and deeply reaching narritive of OotP, at the same time without moving the set of books firmly outside the realms of children's fiction, was always going to be one of the more difficult goals Rowling faced. Despite some minor misgivings (perhaps a slightly heavy handed treatment of the 'teenage rebellion' effect), I can only concur that she has done this, so far, very well. ... Rowling provided an adult treatment of a relationship whilst avoiding the necessity of going into the more 'adult' sides of one. Alongside this, Rowling faced the difficulty of maintaining the atmosphere built up so effectively at the end of book 4 with Voldemort's release. I must confess to having mixed opinions here. Whilst, once back at school, such new 'movement' in the story was exploited well, some of the earlier sections do feel overlong and drawn out. Whilst, to an extent, these serve to demonstrate the fact that, even in what must be known as war, most of the time is spent waiting, it must nonetheless be questionned as to whether an in-depth description of the cleaning of 12 Grimmauld Place is really necessary. Apart from this, however, the fact that the political situation has undergone a sudden paradigm shift is expressed brilliantly; the increased division between Hogwarts and the Ministry was, in my opinion, one of Rowlings' better plots, being far superior to the interesting, but unrealistic plot of 'The Goblet of Fire', ... As one other reviewer commented, book 5 makes a marked change in the treatment of the nature of good and evil. In the previous books, Rowling has almost enshrined a black/white divide, something she most definitely throws to the winds in book 5. The placing of James and Snape in almost the reverse dynamic that Harry and Malfoy share is particularly interesting, as is the treatment of Kreacher by Sirius. Harry finds himself confronted by shades of grey unknown in the previous books, and for the first time is forced to confront the issues in a more adult manner, something that, once again, demonstrates both Harry's and the books' coming of age. At the same time, this has been offset with perhaps some of the most humerous content in any of the Potter books; one cannot help but be amused by some of the Weasley twins' activites in the later sections, and I found myself laughing out loud with the thought of McGonnogal's treatment of the 'escaped firework'. In conclusion, a most enjoyable book. I cannot hope to even reflect what it contains in this review, and nor will I try. There is, also, little point in my encouraging you to read it; if you haven't already read the previous books you're not likely to, and if you have, then I cannot envision you not reading this one. Therefore, I shall only say this: I understand the reluctance to read the Harry Potter books in light of the media reaction and hype surrounding them. Had I not been reading them before all the hype emerged, I suspect I myself would have been subject to this. I consider myself lucky that I was not. The extremely unusual thing about Harry Potter is that, despite all the claims that they are very good books, they are actually very good books. I can only wait for book #6
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