Rating: 
Summary: A Modern Classic
Review: JK Rowling has once again shown that she is one of the most gifted storytellers in the history of modern literature. "Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix" is a richly woven tapestry of character development and plot twists. All of the elements which made Rowlings' first four books so alluring are present, with an added human element of adolescent frustration.This haunting and beautiful novel, while not quite as exciting as "The Goblet of Fire", Book 5 offers much more in depth character development and description, than any previous Harry Potter. Like all four previous novels, "Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix is an engaging, page-turning delight that will keep the reader consumed for its considerable duration. I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful book, and am positive that the Harry Potter series will be required reading for Junior High and High School children for years to come. ENJOY! By the Way: The character who dies is NOT Harry!
Rating: 
Summary: Not Worth the Wait
Review: Okay...I braved the crowd at midnight to buy this book, after waiting for years for it to be written. Then I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning three nights in a row to finish it. And what did I get....disappointment. The first four books all shared one commonality -- a plot that built the tension until that one final fight between Harry and "he-who-must-not-be-named," who first took on the form of various others, but then finally fought Harry as himself. The last hundred pages of the first four novels were so suspenseful that I could barely force myself to take a break long enough to turn the page. But this latest installment kept me waiting for the good part to come. Yet it never did. Sure, we got our expected final battle between the forces of good (i.e. Harry & Co.) and evil (i.e. Voldemort and friends), yet it just lacked the sizzle and excitement to which Rowling has allowed us to become accustomed. I liked it much better when Harry came to his own rescue, astonishing all with his abilities; having another wizard come to his rescue was a disappointment. And that final secret that Dumbledore "should've told Harry five years ago..." -- well duh! Was there any new information there? Every reader above age five had to have figured that one out around chapter 12 of the first book. I'm still a Harry fan, and I'll likely be in line at midnight for the release of the sixth installment, but I sincerely hope that Rowling can recapture the "magic" with which she infused the first half of her series.
Rating:
Summary: The best Potter book yet!
Review: This has to be the best book ever written, not to mention the best Harry Potter book. J.K. Rowling is absolutely amazing at coming up with plots for her books. Her characters are also so realistic, so absolutely perfect that they evoke real emotions in the reader (Case in point: Dolores Umbridge. Oooooh I could smack that evil, simpering old toad...). I don't want to go into the plot in too much detail for fear of spoiling it for people, otherwise this review would be ten times as long. The only drawback of this book is that it's slightly depressing. Harry has such a hard time at Hogwarts this year, not to mention the death of ______... I guess the thought of how long we'll have to wait for the sixth book adds to the post-reading sadness too. Still, this is an absolute must read. Buy it. Now. :P P.S. I can't believe it's 5 days after the release and it said I'm the first person to review this! :D
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps one of the best ever.
Review: I highly recommend purchasing this book, if you have not already done so. This book has hit national records and sold 500 million copies already, showing J.K. Rowling's talent for writing. I thought that because it had taken her so long to write and publish this book, it would be a dud because she had ran out of ideas for this book. I am very glad to say that I was wrong. She has proven what a wonderful writer she is, showing true imagination and spunk in her writing. I am looking forward to her next novel in this series. At the end of his fourth year, Harry Potter had seen one of his friends die at the hands of the Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, otherwise known as Lord Voldemort, who also took the lives of his parents. At the beginning of his summer, he has been doing everything he can to hear the Muggle news for any information on the Dark Lord. As he had not heard anything from the Muggle news, he seems relieved and a bit happy that the Dark Lord has not yet returned to his evil ways. But he could not have been more wrong. Dementors attack him and his cousin, he nearly gets expelled (again), and none of his friends have told him any information about the Dark Lord from the wizarding world. He gets extremely frustrated that he cannot be in the wizarding world to help the prevention of the Dark Lord from coming back. However, he gets quite a suprise. Want to know more? Read the book! This book is extremely satisfying, and is a great collection to your bookshelf along with the other Harry Potter books. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Just keeps getting better...
Review: I found myself wondering how JK Rowling could step it up and write something better than The Goblet of Fire. The Order of the Phoenix has me shaking my head in disbelief that she is truly amazing. Such an imagination is unbelievable as well as downright scary! Once I got going, I could not put the book away until I finished. A bit on the darker side than any of the previous books, I found myself thinking along the same lines as Harry the whole book...the way he felt about everything going on around him. It's amazing how Rowling gets you to actually see the story in your head like it's as real as the keyboard I'm typing on. I just hope that Harry's summer in Number Four, Privet Drive is not too awfully long until the next go around.
Rating:
Summary: Harry's world expands as he grows up...
Review: As promised, this new outing to Harry Potter's wizard-Britain is darker than the previous books in this series. Harry is having to deal with grief and loss and guilt, far more than he ever has before. Quite a few new characters are introduced, and we say goodbye to a very much-liked-in-the-fandom character. Some of the new people are likable (including a very original girl from Ravenclaw House) but the most prominent new character has a personality like Nurse Ratched in _One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest._ A worthy return to the Wizard World, overall.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I have loved each of the Harry Potter books, feeling each was better than the previous book, until now. The 5th year is the only one I have found to be dark and unenjoyable. It was not a fun read like all the others have been. There was no humor. Many characters were uninvolved and the ending was unsatisfactory.
Rating:
Summary: Another Hit...with a darker story line!
Review: I just completed this book. Having read the other four many times over, I was very excited and expecting another similar adventure with the innocence and charm of the other Harry books. This book however, was a dark year for Harry. He is of course growing up and experiences much more then his prior years at Hogwarts, both mentally and physically. Through the entire book I wanted to feel different then I did. I wanted the good and bad ups and downs like the prior books had. This book went very deep into areas of Harry's life that he had not really dealt with before. There was so much turmoil, so much heartache for not only Harry but many other main characters in this book. Harry's personality has changed. He is more worldly, a tad more up-tight and becoming a man. Despite it all, I consider this book a five star read. It was a tad rough in the beginning but once I was into the story, I could not put it down! I will say I never really felt good thru the storyline except for Harry's first kiss, but the death of a very important main character really devastated me. I of course recommend this book to all Harry Potter fans with the understanding that you wont come away from this book feeling as good as any of the others. We will see how J.K. Rowling brings book six together and begins the healing of not only Harry but also the dedicated Potter fans. There is no doubt, your heart will be heavy at the end of this book. I believe that this book on audiotape may be an excellent choice for younger fans, as it is sometimes difficult to follow. Because of the WONDERFUL way that Jim Dale reads the books with his many impersonations, many kids love the audio books, I know I do!! Regardless, get ready Potter fans, you will be very shocked over this book but it is definitely worth the reading!
Rating: 
Summary: I don't know how she does it.....
Review: This is a brilliant continuation of Joanne Rowlings famed series. Sure, it's overrated, but for a good reason. The storyline holds together, its getting the dotcom generation to read- how much cooler can it get? Especially love the parts with Harry's parents in it. I can't wait for the next book!
Rating:
Summary: Ms. Rowling continues to enthrall
Review: There must be a spell J.K. Rowling has put on the Muggle Community. Even after a long hiatus, she still delivers the goods with the newest Harry Potter book. I was impressed by the length and the depth of this book- it conveys emotion and feeling better than any of the other books. Don't get me wrong, the other's were awesome, this however, struck a chord with me. As a 17 year old, I am not far away from 15 year old Harry, and I can vouch that he has some of the same feelings that I had at that age. This is a magical read for anyone who wants to continue the saga, and even for the skeptics who don't believe that these books are fantastic. Give it a try, you'll like it.
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