Rating: 
Summary: The Darker and Older Side of Harry Potter
Review: The fifth book in the Harry Potter seven-part series Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K.Rowling has shown much growth in the characters as well as in the series. In the characters' fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry they are bombarded with challenges they never expected; Harry almost gets kicked out of school, gets kicked off the Quidditch team and has the worst series of detentions ever.
With all these roadblocks in the Ron, Harry and Hermione's way, how can the trio not change? Harry seems to have gone down for the worse. With his reoccurring dream of going down a long hallway, the young man seems more paranoid than ever. He even continually snaps at his best friends for doing nothing. Ron and Hermione are the stars now as Prefects and Ron replacing team captain Oliver Wood as Keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
It seems to be the hardest year ever for Harry who not only has the all-important O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Level exams) as well as his ever-going battle with Lord Voldemort. Plus he is helping his old crush Cho Chang deal with the death of her ex-boyfriend who Harry carried back from his tournament last year.
The book still carries the magical charm and enchantment of the past books but something is different in this book. The books have gotten darker as the children have grown up. The settings are still beautiful and the humor still light but still an evil lingers at Hogwarts.
Among the evil things is the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher and High Inquisitor (a new position created by Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge because of his disliking of Professor Albus Dumbledore and the way he Head Masters the School) Delores Umbridge. She not only does all this but also is so nosey and impossible you have to think she must be the biggest "witch" in the world.
The lurking danger of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as always is upon Harry and the gang. They even starts a Defense Against the Dark Arts club (after clubs have been banned by Umbridge who doesn't teach them anything anyway) called Dumbledore's Army.
The book is still exciting but it definitely isn't the old Harry, Ron and Hermione I used to know. The book was slightly disappointing with a twisty ending. The series is starting to take a more serious turn and I'm not sure I want the characters to grow up. I still want them to be the little goofy 11 year olds they were in the first book still scared, unknowing and experimenting.
It was not the best book in the series but still good. It definitely could have been cut down. It's mostly children who read the series and it's going farther and farther away from its original audience. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a new leaf in the series where its characters are starting to be gentlemen and ladies on their way to adult hood. Although as I said before it is not my personal favorite in the series as a teenager going through many of the same things, I found myself relating to this book the most.
Rating: 
Summary: Best one yet
Review: A tragic ending, with a feeling that a major war is coming in the magical world. However, we continue to see Harry & company grow as witches & wizards, as well as learn much more about that fateful night. I read this book in less than a day, I was so engrossed by it. I already can't wait for the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: J. K. Rowling's Hit a Writer's Block
Review: For all that I was expecting of this book, it fell quite short.
The plot, I think, was underdeveloped, Harry's little 'love affair' inane. J. K. Rowling put in prophecies and such to make the plot look thought out. The killing of Sirius was pointless, and she just did it for dramatic tension. If you ask me, she's probably just going to bring him back anyway.
Harry appeared as a raging hormonal teen who changed quite a bit over the summer. During most of the book he is screaming, yelling and arguing with his friends. Harry is completely pointless in this, and he can't defend himself. He has to get Sirius, and Dumbledore to come to his rescue.
Fudge realized that Voldemort really was back at the end of the book, which makes for a less interesting plot in the books to come.
Quite a few new characters were introduced to the story, who were often underdeveloped, and didn't seem to have a reason for what they were doing.
In all, I think this is a poor example of Ms. Rowling's writing skills, and she definitely could have written it better. Only buy it if you intend on following the series. And parents be warned. Harry curses a bit in this book
Rating:
Summary: JC's review
Review: If you like witches, warlocks, and other magical creatures then you'll love the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling. This book is an exciting story about everyone's favorite character Harry Potter. This book is the fifth book of its series, and quite frankly I say the best one ever. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a story about a boy who is in his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Magic. During his time at Hogwarts, Harry learns to fight off all kinds of crazy creatures. He even battles with Lord Voldemort, a warlock so sinister that his name can not even be mentioned.
I give this book five stars, because I feel that the authors use of imaginary characters make the book fun and enjoyable for children of all ages. Due to J.K. Rowlings interesting use of characters everyone can find a character to relate to. You could find your self like Harry, whose brave heart and support from hid friends can conquer almost anything. You could be Hermionie, with her use of knowledge she helps her friends escape grave parole. Lets not forget Ron, he may not be the smartest or the bravest, but when it comes to support Ron's always got your back. Those are just a few of the many different characters in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Every story has its bad qualities though. I found this book to be very similar in plot to the four other books on its series. In every Harry Potter book, Harry fights some huge, sinister evil and always just escapes with his life. Some people think this book lacks emotion (and through series one through four, there right), but later on in the book Harry has a little love affair with a certain witch of his liking.
Some good qualities about this book were the authors use of creativeness. The book is full of creativity, theirs loads of magical things each described to you in great detail by J.K Rowling. One of the things I like most about the book is J.K Rowling's use of descriptiveness, its like the words paint a picture in your mind about what things in the story look like and what emotions the characters are feeling. What I also believe grabbed the readers attention is the interesting story lines (even though there the same in every book). In each book of the series Harry has one or another fascinating creature to keep from destroying his friends and family.
So in conclusion, I give this book an overall rating of five stars for its use of imaginary characters, which makes the story impossible to put down. The interesting dialogue, unfortunate events, and partial romance make it a good story for just about anyone. I strongly believe that the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix deserved five stars, because of the ability to take the reader into a magical world of witches, warlocks and an overall enchanting atmosphere.
Rating:
Summary: School Review
Review: Harry Potter is back, in a complex, intriguing tale with a dark ending. New characters are introduced and old ones make their appearance, Voldemort is creating havoc, and Harry is growing up.
The story opens at the Dursleys, where Harry has spent another miserable summer. Dudley is now a huge, bullying lout with his own gang, and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are just as horrid as ever. Worse, Harry's friends seem to have deserted him. He hasn't heard from Ron or Hermione in weeks. When Harry finds himself fighting off Dementors and saving Dudley in the process, the Ministry of Magic threatens to expel him from Hogwarts. Then a group of wizards appears to spirit Harry away to safety.
In the group is Remus Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, and Nymphadora Tonks, a young witch and Auror who can change her appearance at will. They rush Harry to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place in London, a magical house belonging to Sirius Black that now functions as headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, which is the band of wizards and witches allied against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They meet in secret because Cornelius Fudge and the Ministry of Magic have declared that the Voldemort scare is just that - a scare, and anyone allied with Dumbledor is not to be trusted.
Ron, Hermione, and The Weasley twins are present, but the adults won't tell them what's going on. Though happy to see his friends again, Harry is furious at being left in the dark and explodes in a fit of angry self-righteousness. Why is Dumbledore avoiding him? Hasn't he, Harry, done more to foil Voldemort than anyone? Why is he being kept in the dark? And who sent Dementors after him, right in front of a Muggle, too? Even when the gang is back at Hogwarts, Voldemort and his plans remain shadowy to Harry. Plus, he's having dreams of a mysterious corridor with doors at the end, and his scar is bothering him more than ever.
Harry isn't the only one in trouble. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge, is a spy for Cornelius Fudge, with ever-increasing control over the students and staff due to official decrees from the Ministry. When Umbridge succeeds in ousting Dumbledore as Headmaster and installing herself as Headmistress, chaos reigns and the stage is set for a showdown with Voldemort.
Harry continues to grow up in this novel. Now fifteen, he is a typical angst-filled teenager in many respects and is by turns bitter, ecstatic, and sullen. Ron and Hermione stand by his side as usual, though Harry doesn't make it easy at times. Neville becomes more confident and self-assured as his powers begin to deepen, and several newly introduced classmates have their place in the plot, including Harry's first crush. Harry continues to be a sympathetic character, even through his moods.
Dumbledore is largely absent for this story, but Remis Lupin and Sirius Black are back. Sirius ends up the most interesting secondary character, as the author give us insights into his background (think "black sheep aristocrat"). Snape, while as oily as ever, is made more human when Harry inadvertently gets a glimpse into his past - a past that includes real humiliation at the hands of people Harry admires and trusts. Harry begins to see the people around him in shades of gray, not just in the black-and-white terms of good and evil. Harry is becoming an adult, and the series is growing in complexity right along with him.
The only "flaw" in the story, and some people may look at this in different ways, is the ending. It smacks of Hollywood, as in "well, somebody's gotta die or it ain't gonna feel authentic". The death of an important character felt gratuitous and unnecessary, especially when the stage was set to turn things in a far more interesting and satisfying direction at that very moment. Harry didn't need anything more to feel bitter and despairing over.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was an action-packed fantasy. It mixes
all the elements of a great book into one distinguished novel. It has adventure, magic,
suspense, and sorrow all rolled into one. The author, J.K. Rowling, grabs you into the
book from the start and makes you connect with the characters. Whatever emotions they
are feeling, the reader is experiencing along with them. The main character in this book is Harry Potter, a wizard who was raised by
muggles (non-magical humans). He is in his 5th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry. Here, he and his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, get into loads of
trouble and go on many extraordinary escapades. For example, they go through the
Forbidden Forest with the Hogwarts groundskeeper, Hagrid, only to find themselves face
to face with a giant! There are many things changing in Hogwarts that Harry doesn't like,
and he's willing to go to all means to prevent them from happening. Harry's attitude develops a lot throughout The Order of The Phoenix. In the
beginning he is very uptight and ready to jump down anyone's throat who isn't perfectly
nice to him. Then, once the plot gets going he loosens up a little and starts warming up to
everyone. However, just when you think his troubles are over something horrendous
happens. He experiences a loss that will stay with him for the rest of his life. After this he
seems distant from every one, including Ron and Hermione. This is one of the main parts
of the book where you endure all the emotions that Harry does, and give him all your
sympathy. The setting of this story was in London, England. This affected the book in many
ways. It influenced the uniforms of Hogwarts because of the harsh weather. It also
inspired the scenery that the students would pass by on the train on the way to Hogwarts.
This gave J.K. Rowling plenty of opportunities to be very descriptive, which she took full
advantage of. One of the settings that makes the story really fascinating is the forbidden
forest. In here many events take place. I've already mentioned that Harry and his friends
meet up with a giant, but they also have their Care of Magical Creatures classes out there.
This gives the author the chance to introduce many magical creatures into the story as
well. There were many themes that the author hints at in this novel. However, there
were two main ones that really stuck out. When Harry losses someone that was nearest
and dearest to his heart it made me realize what one of the themes were. You should
never take anything for granted because you never know when it will be gone. He lost his
precious person in a matter of seconds, and will never be able to get it back. This also
brings out the lesson that it is easier to destroy than to create. I would definitely recommend this book to readers of all ages. It has the fun
atmosphere for younger kids, but it also has deeper thoughts and messages for an older
audience. This book was perhaps the most thrilling and interesting book I've ever read,
and by far the best book of the series. It incorporated all the characteristics of a quality
book and is above and beyond any other book of its genre. This book, although still new,
is definitely a classic in my mind and will stay in the literature world forever.
Rating:
Summary: Cho Chang : Any Witch Way You Can
Review: "The Order of the Phoenix" is the fifth book in the Harry Potter series, and centres mostly on Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. Orphaned when an evil wizard called Voldemort killed his parents, the attack left a strange lightning-shaped scar on Harry's forehead. Voldemort disappeared for many years after that attack, and Harry - although he didn't know it - became something of a celebrity in the magical community. Since the age of 11, Harry has been attending Hogwarts, a very prestigious school for training young witches and wizards. Unfortunately, since then it has become apparent that Voldemort's disappearance was only temporary, and his desire to kill Harry has not lessened. It proves to be a particularly tough year for him, both academically and personally. In fifth year, Hogwarts students take their OWLs - wizard's exams - so his workload has increased dramatically. Also, after the events outlined in "The Goblet of Fire", both Harry and Dumbledore are being viewed with scorn by the Ministry of Magic and the Daily Prophet. Neither organisation is willing to believe that Voldemort is back, fully recovered - and seem determined to discredit both Dumbledore and Harry. In fact, it is said that any Ministry employee is in league with Dumbledore will be fired immediately. Luckily, there are those who know better. The Order of the Phoenix is a secret society formed by Dumbledore, consisting of people who had fought Voldemort previously. Several of its members have appeared in previous books, and include Mr and Mrs Weasley, Sirius Black, Professor Lupin, Mad Eye Mooney and Severus Snape. Unfortunately, they seem determined to tell Harry and his friends as little as possible about their plans and what Voldemort is up to. The Order's headquarters are at 12 Grimmauld Place, the ancestral home of the Blacks. Like Harry, Sirius is having difficulty coping with the situation. As an Azkaban escapee, he can't leave the house in case he is spotted - even though he'd much prefer to be offering more practical help. There have been a couple of changes at Hogwarts also. Almost inevitably, there's a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Umbridge. A thoroughly obnoxious woman, she is also Senior Under-Secretary to the Minister of Magic. In a speech she makes after the sorting of the first years, she basically admits she is there to interfere with the running of Hogwarts. As the year progresses, she proves true to her word - additionally her teaching is woefully inadequate. Another new teacher introduced at the start of the school year is Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures - previously taught be Hagrid. Hagrid, of course, had been sent on a secret mission by Dumbledore at the end of the previous school year. As with the previous instalment, "The Goblet of Fire", this is a very long and very enjoyable addition to the series. It's very easily read and will be enjoyed by both children and adults. However, before reading this book, I'd suggest reading "The Goblet of Fire" at the very least. Much of what happens there has a direct impact on the events of this book. Ideally, though, I'd recommend reading all the books in order - there are all very enjoyable!
Rating:
Summary: He could smell the dementor's putrid, death-cold breath. . .
Review: In the fifth book of the Harry Potter series, The Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling once again takes readers on a magical adventure with the book's protagonist, Harry Potter. The fifth book continues the story of Harry Potter's life as the famed hero of the wizard world. It starts out with the familiar scene of Harry at the Dudley residence, but by the end of the first chapter Harry is met with his first challenge of the story. '"He could smell the dementor's putrid, death-cold breath, filling his lungs, drowning him-Think...something happy...But there was no happiness in him...The dementor's icy fingers were closing on his throat-the high-pitched laughter was growing louder and louder, and a voice spoke inside his head-"Bow to death Harry...It might be painless... I would not know... I have never died..."' The dementors have invaded the one place where Harry had not known magic to be: his summer home, Little Whinging. Not only that, but Harry had used magic to protect himself, and he was underage. So, in one chapter Harry manages to get attacked, and expelled, yet, little does he know that that's just the beginning of his problems. Through his most demanding school year thus far, Harry is tormented by the newest defense against the Dark Arts teacher, ignored by his friend and mentor, Professor Dumbledore, banned from Quidditch, and thrown on an emotional rollercoaster with his new found attitude and love life.
The Harry Potter books preceding this new installment are, in comparison; more focused on Harry's struggle against evil then the fifth book, which is more focused on developing Harry's character. The book gives many more details on Harry's family and his enemy's. The danger that Harry will come to face in his future becomes clearer and more perilous. He forms a stronger bond with his friends and a stronger understanding of himself. For example, there was never an in depth description of Harry's love life until the fifth book, where Harry goes on a date and gets his first kiss. There is also a portion of the book that is dedicated to explaining how being alone frustrates Harry and how the fame that he has come to receive, be it good or bad, is finally starting to effect him.
One of the bad things about this book is that it is much longer then the others, meaning that getting to the big action takes a lot of time. Harry stays at the Order of the Phoenix before school, so for about two chapters Harry isn't even at school yet. Harry also goes to the Order for Christmas, when in the other books he had stayed at the castle, and that also makes the book long-winded. So, by the time you get to the really good part, then it takes the protagonist forever to get to where he's going, which gets frustrating. Another bad part of the story is that many of the good characters exit the story because they are hurt or banned. These characters include Hagrid, Professor Mcgonagall, and Professor Dumbledore.
The book does have it's low points, but I think that over-all it is a must read for the fans of the Harry Potter stores. Yet, if you were to read this book without reading the others that come before it, then you would be completely lost, and the book would not be worth the time. Each of the books builds up to the next, and the plot depends on the former information from the previous books. I do, however, highly recommend the Harry Potter series and give it two thumbs up.
--by JR, student of Mr. M
Rating:
Summary: "I'll wait twenty years for another book this good!"
Review: This book was absolutely splendid. J.K. Rowling did an excellent job of making the characters and plot as intricate as possible. To those who found this book boring...it indeed does require much thought and the right perception. It might not contain the constant action of the first four books, but it contains a different type of suspense that the others do not possess. Rowling sort of babied us in the first books and is now showing the full potential of the story. To be able to see Harry grow and learn more about the ever-changing world around him is fascinating. To concerned parents everywhere...Harry Potter is a deep and moving work. Parents must know their own child and how they perceive reality and fiction before allowing them to read these books. My mother took a chance and let me read them. Fortunately, I was ready, but not all are. There is no definite age but more of a maturity. Rowling said herself that the books will continue to become gradually darker and we have seen that in Azkaban and up. I am excited and optimistic about the future of Harry Potter.
Rating:
Summary: Cheers to Harry
Review: As a special education, high school teacher, I have found these books to be a life saver. After a couple of days of moaning and groaning, I found the kids to be getting interested in the books to spite themselves. At this point, they have begun to read ahead and make predictions as to what will be next. Harry is my hero! We are on book 3 right now but I cannot wait for them to get to book 5 when so many questions are answered and a new set of wuestions will be formed that to which we are all waiting on answers.
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