Rating: 
Summary: Was there an editor?
Review: I have been a big fan of Harry Potter since the first book, but this one is a monument to someone way too taken with herself. A good editor should have been able to sit her down and say "look, it's too long. Yes, it's your baby, but its... too ... long..." Way too many sideplots, too many new characters and no time to develop them.Then there is Harry. He goes from a pretty nice kid in June to a tortured, angry, megolomaniac in what--4 weeks? Nope, don't buy it. I wanted to shake some sense into him for the way he treated his friends. The tone of the whole book is dark and angry with the very occasional patches of humour (God rest ye merry hippogriffs!) and did not show the authors respect for the characters. Maybe 6 and 7 will be better.
Rating:
Summary: Curb Your Enthusiam!!!
Review: For all the PotterHeads out there, of course I recommend reading the book. However, this 5th in the series not only didn't rise to the level of the hype, but was the weakest in the series. Despite the length "Phoenix" was an easy read which flowed smoothly. When it was over however I felt like I had eaten junk food for dinner: Lots of tasty calories but no substance. After all of the creative fun and games I realized that there was a very weak story threading through. It is as if Rowling is stalling for time until that fateful 7th year when Harry finally vanquishes He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. You didn't really think that there was any chance of that happening here or in the next volume did you? J.K. Rowling is one of the most gifted writers that I have read, but she has set herself in a trap. By staging each book as one of seven school years she is limited in creating new enemies, and changing the setting or characters significantly. Furthermore, the reader is pretty well tipped off as to when Harry will defeat his nemesis. Why even read Book 6? I would savor a book where Rowling's imagination tackles an adult Harry attempting to defeat the dark lord in an epic struggle. I hope that she chooses not to struggle along for ideas for Book (and year) 6 and breaks the pattern that she has set.
Rating: 
Summary: J.K. Just Can't Stop
Review: Itr absolutely boggles my mind trying to figure out J.K. Rowling can keep on coming up with outstanding adventures for Harry Potter. It seems to me like every book it equally original and stylish while at the same time diversified in the manner of situations both physically and mentally the she comes up with out of apparently nowhere for our tragic hero, Harry Potter. It has been said, and I agree, that in the past 'HP and The Prisoner of Azkaban' was perhaps the best of the fully amazing series, but I think that a new contender has just ousted the previous favorite. 'HP and The Order of the Pheonix' is an incredible book, start to finish. Rowling masterfully draws out Harry's frustration with being with the Dursleys over the summer, his vehemence at having no idea what Voldermort or anyone else in the magical world are up to, and brings it off very realistically when Harry, looking back in retrospect, wonders why he has been shut out of meaningful contact with his friends and acquaintances after all he has done in the name of Good. That is perhaps what makes the book astounding, because it is fully possible that a lesser author would not even have touched upon that darker side of the teenage mind, leaving Harry happy and content to know nothing and not care about everything he has fought to protect. Prepare for a heart rending, tear-jerking, nail-biting conclusion to a wonderful tale, and lets hope that J.K. can keep her current standard-setting imagination well fueled and ready to turn out the last two works that are equally good as their predecessors. Seriously, Rowling is out doing herself. Maybe she found the manuscript for all seven books in a dumpster or something, these books are too good for a normal person to have written. All said in done, everyone should read this series.
Rating: 
Summary: Good
Review: This was a good book, but not as good as the last four. It did not leave me wanting more; it just left me depressed for a bit. It was fun to read, but there were a lot of downs and not many ups. Worth getting, but perhaps one should wait for the paperback...
Rating: 
Summary: My arms got tired.
Review: The latest Potter novel continues the magical story of a boy growing up in a society of witches and wizards. The biggest complaint that I have is that it is too long, if that is possible. At 870 pages the weight of the book makes it hard to hold up while reading. And while all of the sidebar adventures were interesting it kind of dragged in the middle. The main plot elements of Harry's conflict with the Dark Lord was not advanced very far. The scene near the end with the magical combat between Dumbledore's Army and the Death Eaters went on too long. I got the impression that she is writing that scene more as a movie script than for a novel. On the positive side Rowling doesn't shy away from inclusion of dark aspects in her "children's" books. One of Harry's friends dies (or does he?). Characters are rarely all good or all bad. Fudge from the Ministry of Magic is a villain despite being in charge of protecting people, perhaps an education for teenage readers about how real governments are so often wrong about most everything. I hope she cuts the next one down a little. My arms got tired.
Rating:
Summary: WOW...alreadly read it twice
Review: The book moves alarmingly FAST and ends like all the others.... I want more Harry Potter i cant wait for BOOK 6. It took 1 day to read the first time, I couldnt put it DOWN. With all the roumors leading up to i was worried at what could happen and still TOTALLY AMAZED. PICK UP BOOK 5 AND DONT PUT IT DOWN TILL YOUR DONE! Happy Reading Fellow Muggles.
Rating:
Summary: BEST BOOK EVER
Review: Even though I am 19 years old I loved this book! It is the best Harry Potter book yet and I cannot wait for the next one to come out. It is full of magic and sorcery! There's a twist around every corner and it keeps you on your toes. I read this book every spare second I had and did not want to have to put it down. On Sunday, the day after it came out my boyfriend's mom asked me how far I was...I told her I was on page 95. She then proceded to tell me..."Ha! I'm farther than you." From then on I was determined to finish it before she did and as far as I know...I succeeded! I recommend this book to anybody anywhere no matter how old or young you are! J.K. Rowling rocks!!!!
Rating:
Summary: So good I forced myself to ration it
Review: "Phoenix" is not only (as many have observed) the darkest volume detailing Harry Potter's exploits and travails, but also the most literary. J.K. Rowling has greatly expanded her use of device, and she does so with overall effectiveness. Her greatest talent as a writer resides in her ability to write what some have rather misleadingly termed "straightforward prose." What Ms. Rowling does is to trust her reader. She knows exactly how much description to give, and then lets the reader's imagination do the rest. One particular scene involving a portrait who is searching for his missing owner (paintings lead far more interesting and interactive lives in Harry's world than in ours) took only a line or two to describe, but unfolded in my mind into a vignette of moving supernatural pathos. Symbolism is rife within the text, and it too is used with good effect. There seems to be more depth in this effort, with not only the overt symbolism evident in nomenclature, but more subtle usage as well. For example, I took the ghastly Umbridge world-view and the evil, stifling bureaucratic nonsense promulgated by the Ministry of Magic to be pointed jabs at perhaps: the EU, current governmental PC attitudes, and certainly New Classism in general. But, maybe that's just me. Unquestionably, the book is darker. I might be a little reticent to recommend it to very young readers. However, the spooky and unpleasant aspects are usually the best ones in fiction and Rowling writes toe-curling, spine-tingling stuff. My only real complaint is with the ending. Things are wrapped up a little too tidily for my taste. I prefer more "shaggy beast" in my novels, than neat packaging. Also, she eliminated (prematurely) a source of compelling conflict, with Umbridge and the Ministry,and I'm not sure why. Still, the book is excellent. There are those who condescend to Rowling as a writer, and to juvenile fiction in general - they shouldn't. This book is a first-rate literary effort, and like the preceding four, are classics in their genre.
Rating:
Summary: READ THIS REVIEW!!!
Review: One Word-Speechless Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a witty, clever, action-packed, emotional, loving, wonderfully done, brilliant, dark, mysterious, suspenseful, and GREAT book and BY FAR the BEST in the Harry Potter Series! It is deeply emotional. Harry feels strong anger and hate toward his friends, family, and even dear Albus Dumbledore! You cannot imagine the way Mrs. Rowling makes you feel these emotions, and how she makes you laugh, cry, and get extremely anxious throughout the story. Puberty is taking a turn on Harry! This book delivers a batch of intriguing new characters too, more than any other Harry Potter book. You get to know the grumpy Alastor (Mad-Eye) Moody, the fashionable and clumsy Nymphadora Tonks, the mischivious Kreatcher, the outgoing Luna Lovegood, and last but not least, the carnivorous, vicious, annoying, devilish Hogwarts High Inquisitor and new DADA teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge. Each of these characters is unique in thier own way, and bring the story to life! (Sometimes in negative ways!) The story takes a suprisingly darker turn, and has taken the spot of "Darkest in the Series," which used to belong to Prisoner of Azkaban. We see hate in the Magical World, and also distrust, prejudice, and of course, the rise of Lord Voldemort..he has created a rift in the Magical World, so there is a break in who believes in his rise, and the others who think it's madness and nonsense. I loved this darker turn, but I am glad Rowling kept the blood and gore out of this one which was in Goblet of Fire. The action in this book was gripping, from a fast-paced game of Quidditch, to a showdown with Dementors, to a fierce battle with the Death-Eaters. It did not have the wit of the Triwizard Tournament, but it had that Magical backdrop that all action lovers will appreciate. A basic sypnosis of this book is: Harry has not seen his friends all summer. He has not been in contact with then for almost 4 weeks. After a predicament which puts his Hogwarts life at risk, he is put in the hands of the Order of the Phoenix. He has not known of this group until they rescue him and bring then to there headquarters. Ron and Hermione are now present and tell harry of the Order of the Phoenix, an band of wizards led by Dumbledore that fights the Dark Forces of Lord Voldemort. As he sees his friends, he sees even more at Hogwarts...
and that is where the trouble begins... Lord Voldemort has returned... This book was a MASTERPIECE!
I recommend it to anyone who appreciates the BEST fantasy literature. I would give this book a zillion stars!
Rating:
Summary: Harry Takes a Darker Turn
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In fact, I read it in less than 24 hours because I just couldn't put it down. In Harry's 5th year at Hogwarts, things have taken a decidely darker turn. Lord Voldemort is back and The Order of the Phoenix, the group of wizards and witches who grouped together to stop him last time is reformed and ready for action. But, (and there is always a but) the Ministry of Magic doesn't want to admit it and has come out and denied that Albus Dumbledore is telling the truth, has attacked Harry and has sent one of their own to destabilize Dumbeldore's hold on Hogwarts. The new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher is more treacherous than Snape and far more dangerous to Harry and the Order's defense against Voldemort. The story leads Harry away from being "The Boy Who Lived" to "The Boy Who Needs Attention." Harry struggles with not being believed, with having his mentor Albus Dumbledore cast as a doddering old fool who is going crazy and can't handle Hogwarts anymore. The Dark is rising but everyone is ignoring it. It's a paradigm shift for Harry and for the story in general and it keeps the reader uncomfortable and waiting for the other shoe to drop. I won't get too specific because I don't want to give much away but there is a lot of action and suspense and the nearly 900 pages go quite quickly, leaving you sad at the end that you'll be waiting at least another year or so before you see another book. The book is filled with a lot of angst as well it should. Harry and his friends are after all, 15 years old. The book is dark and sad and Harry spends a lot of time confused, angry and hurt. He's trying to figure out who he is and what his place is in his own world. As is the case with growing up in general, Harry learns that many of the things he's believed were not necessarily as cut and dried as he'd thought. It's this struggle, the struggle to find out who he is and who the people in his life are, both enemies and friends, that is the core of the story. A very entertaining read though I'd hesitate a bit at reading it to a child under 6 or 7 at least as a cherished character does get killed and there are many scary moments.
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