Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

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Submitted by milobrandybuck 
(Nov 30, 2003)

Deeper than the last book, and in some ways more grown up.

This was a really good read and I was unable to put it down. Harry is now in his fifth year at Hogwarts and since he witnessed the return of You-Know-Who in Goblet Of Fire, he has been stuck with his Muggle family, and completely cut off from his friends and the magic world.

His anger building over the summer because no one will tell him whats going on, he feels slighted. Showing typical teenage behaviour that makes him think that the world revolves around him he explodes when his friends eventually rescue him.

From the opening few chapters, Harry's world gets darker and darker. From the mental flashes from Voldemort, to the interference of the Ministry of Magic and their utter disbeleif that Voldemort is back, Harry is vilified by the Wizard world.

He then has to work towards his exams and with the interference of the Ministry, in the form of a vindictive teacher, this book is engrossing from start to finish.

This series just gets better and better.

Possible subtitle: "Harry Potter and the Heart of Darkness". I half expected Harry to end up in a gunboat travelling up river to Cambodia to take out Kurtz ... only to discover that Kurtz is actually his godfather ...
As the years pass, Harry matures, his readers mature, and the series matures. The whole book is about those twin pillars of the mid-teens, rebellion and coming of age. But the biggest pleasure of all, perhaps, is the growth of the characters themselves. Dumbledore, for reasons of his own, makes Ron, not Harry, a Hogwarts prefect -- and it turns out to be an excellent choice. Ron is becoming his own man. Hermione is not just a tagalong character anymore; she is her own independent force at Hogwarts. Neville finds his own voice. And Fred and George Weasley practically walk away with the book on their own.
But the story is Harry's. His rage, his frustration, his change in attitude to the adults he has relied on for so long, his effort to make sense out of the book's events, his struggle to understand Dumbledore's mea culpa, all show us a person halfway between boyhood and adulthood. The Order of the Phoenix is perhaps the pivotal book of this series. And it contains a small but perhaps pivotal event -- the moment when Hermione says a particular name.
Plus we meet Luna Lovegood. Now taking bets ...

I was sceptical to read the series when it first came out. I expected it to be a child's fantasy book and not much to my taste. However my mother read it and then my grandfather, and they both raved about it. I was curious and picked up the first book...to my amazement I have beaten them to buying the fifth book which I've just finished reading in about 3 days! Now I'm left wondering, where is the 6th and 7th book!

Rowling is a superb writer. There is nothing better than reading a book that takes you away and makes you feel what the characters feel. I was oblivious to my surroundings and loving it! It was an absolutely wonderful and well written book. I am anxious for the next! I definitely recommend reading it, to all those in doubt! You won't regret it!

Happy Readings! And, Mrs. Rowling, write on, I need more Potter!

The longest book so far in the series. A bit more detail too, which did slow the plotline a little, but I still quite enjoyed the story as a whole.

I enjoyed the magical use and the new unusual creatures. Harry's angry attitude through the whole story became irritating after a while and I felt he needed a good shake.

The author left us wondering to the end who it was that died in the book, and a few characters had near-misses. The evil dark character is growing in strength, which makes the story more interesting too.

I absolutely could NOT put this book down. I finished it the day I got it. But I do not think that this is the best Harry Potter book.

Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix teeters on the horns of dilemma...it is very interesting, but after Mrs. Rowling killed the person she did, the whole thing went downhill for me.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix explains some of the mysteries in previous books, but it does leave you with a lot of new ones...like what is behind the veil. I thought the new Defense Against the Arts teacher added a very nice twist. I highly recommend this book.