Originally pulped almost 5 years ago now, this book has just been read in our household. We are really, really late to the Harry Potter party, but isn't that the best way to be? Considering that we would have to have waited 3 years between books four and five, and now we get to dive into the 6th book the night after finishing the latter, is a fortunate thing for us.

Order of the Phoenix is the longest of the series, and culminates in an epic battle at the end which does not let down in the action department. There are new enemies introduced in The Order: both Dark Eaters and one enemy who is an apathetic/insane bureaucrat. And whether or not we can trust Snape has still not been entirely hammered out for us.

By the fifth book, our hero has turned from a child to a young man. He is dealing with much more complex issues than most have to deal with (predestination, seeing a friend die, issues of orphan hood) and yet when he lashes out in anger we still click out tongues at him. Rowling makes sure to show that Harry Potter is human (a magical human) and although he is destined to save us all, he still can't understand girls, really hasn't learned how to study for a test, and can't keep from feeling jealous when friends do better than him.

The pattern is followed here, just as it was in the past four books. Harry deals with his hateful biological family, goes to school, danger ensues, and there is a battle at the end--Just a regular school year for the students at Hogwarts.

There's one thing that I think this series does best, perception. In the fifth book, the war is well under way in the normal world, but the reader has to go to school and deal with everyday issues with the three heroes, despite the ever hanging anxiety that the world is falling down outside the school grounds.

The characters are funnier and truer than ever. And if we had to be honest, the brain behind this entire operation is Herminie. She is rarely wrong, and always knows what to do. Harry just has the talent to carry out the ideas and Ron cracks jokes and nearly kills himself along the way.

It's a great read, especially for fans of the series who have not made it this far. ( )

Canton, Jeffrey. Summer 2003. Harry Potter: the Long and Short of It. Books in Canada Review found at: http://www.childrencomefirst.com/HPre...

This was an interesting review to read - and one I read after reading the book. Jeffrey Canton did not give a glowing review - he criticized Rowling of too much repetition making for a tedious read.

I did not feel it was too long. It's true there was a lot of repetition (especially in describing Umbridge's toad-like appearance), but I felt it added to the story.

Cooper, Ilene. July 2003. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:Review. Booklist online: http://www.booklistonline.com.proxy.g...

My favorite of the HP books. Professor Umbridge is one of the greatest villains in literary history. ( )

Book 5 came and went and I feel that it moved the story along nicely. Not the best book by far and it seemed that the story could have been told in far less than 800+ pages that it took. I do like how the series is getting darker and is growing as Harry ages. The questions left open in the previous four books are starting to be answered here and I'm looking forward to the final two books in the series. ( )

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth book in J. K. Rowling's much loved, world famous Harry Potter series. The UK edition of the Order of the Phoenix consists of 766 pages...all of whcih packed with darkness and excitement at every turn. As you may see, I have given this book a five star rating, purely because I love it, it's the biggest book in the series but only took me three days to read. The explosive battle in the Department of Mysteries takes up about six chapters, and it was amazing basically...

With the retunr of Lord Voldemort and the Ministry of Magic doing everything they can to mask this, Harry is in more danger than he could ever be. Kept in the dark by Dumbledore's organisation The Order of the Phoenix, Harry's anger is rising and with an new Inquisitor at Hogwarts and Dumbledore doing his best to ignore him Harry feels more alone than ever and his anger ever rises...

Reviewing several books of the same series can get a bit tiresome and a bit repetitive, and as this series is so heavily reviewed and virtually everybody has already read it I really can't be arsed to review it anymore...c'mon it dosn't need a review! ( )