Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth sequel of the series. The prequel to this book are: Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In the prequel, The Goblet of Fire, Harry is entered into the Triwizard Tournament. The goal of the last task is to survive the maze and reach the Cup. Somehow the cup was turned into a portal key (transports you from one place to a designate other). He ended up in a grave yard and was an unwilling participant in the reincarnation of the Dark Wizard Voldemort. In the book The order of the Phoenix, all of the adults that he has know to be like family members to him band together to stop Lord Voldemort. All of them are hidden in number twelve Grimmauld Place, an invisible house that belongs to his godfather. Harry and his friends return to their school, Hogwarts. In Hogwarts they are presented with a new teacher for their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. This teacher was assigned to them by the Ministry of Magic (wizard government). The Ministry of Magic is trying to keep people from panicking so in the press they deny the return of Lord Voldemort. This book shows how the press and media can distort the truth and what some people will do for power. It also reminds you that you should choose your battles wisely because there are some that are not worth fighting for. Some of the strong points of the book are that you can read what they are thinking and feeling and that helps you to get a better understanding of why they say or do certain things. Even though it makes the book really long, I love the way J. K. Rowling, the author, goes into detail about the characters. The only thing in the entire book that I had a little trouble with was following along when she would go into the deep background of a character. It would be a separate story and then go back and start where it left off in the basic storyline of the book. This was the only time I experienced this slight confusion because in the prequel she makes the transitions clear. Other than that, I think that this is a great book. It is able to keep your attention while introducing to new concepts. You also learn valuable life lessons that connect with your own life. I recommend this book to everyone, but especially to boys that don't like to read. This book is so action packed that you don't even realize that your reading. It exercises your mind because you can picture everything and it becomes like you are watching a movie. (I also recommend reading the book before you watch the movie).

In this 5th installment of the Harry Potter book series, Harry shows himself early on to be a very different young man than we have grown to expect.

Although completely justified, Harry is rather 'moody' in this book. Realistic in the sense that our 15 year old hero is finally acting more like a teenager than ever before. Withdrawn, angry, lashing out at his friends...this was the first time in the series that I thought, "Gee, I don't know if I would like to be Harry's friend if I were at his school this year". I could not help but wonder, as the events of this school year unfolded, why Hogwarts does not have something like a school counsellor on staff. A few months ago, a student had died at school, and with all the changes in administration (due to the interference of the Ministry and the High Inquisitor), there is a lot of stress for the students of Hogwarts. Oh well...I suppose wizarding kids are made of stronger mettle than us mere Muggles when it comes to emotional problems and upsets.

This book was about the same size as the previous book (#4, the Goblet of Fire) which, by previous standards, is quite a big book (over 750 pgs...compared to the first 3 books at an average of a mere 300 pages). I found this story to be the most 'disturbing' yet...the things that bothered me the most was the though of the Ministry (government) framing Harry (ex. the Dementor attack and changing his trial time so that he would miss it and be found guilty) and the media slandering his character and that this was viewed as acceptable behavior. Also, the (literally) torturous detentions given by new 'Professor' Umbridge were almost too awful to imagine.

I feel, for the most part, that this book was the beginning of a new chapter in Harry's life. There was the very short time in his life when he had a 'normal' existence with his parents, then the terrible 10 years that followed living with his neglectful/abusive relatives, then the (relatively) happy next 4 years Harry spends at Hogwarts with his friends...and then this. He is kidnapped and almost killed by a murderous villian and now (understandably) his life has changed and his mood with it. In this part of the continuing series, Harry must arm himself for future conflict by building his confidence and strengthening his friendships with his closest comrades. He learns to become a leader, and is forced (again) to deal with a great emotional loss.

It is an excellent book. Of course, you do have to start at the beginning of the series and work your way up to this one. And please, do yourself a favor and read the book (don't just see the movie)!

This was the only book in the Harry Potter Series that I would not rate Excellent. I feel that she finally fell into the "middle book funk" that plagues so many other book writers and movie producers.

My theory on avoiding the "funk" is to provide the characters a few clues they can work for and give them some small victories to show they are at least making progress for their pain. It worked in JK's other books, so why she chose to change her formula here is beyond me. The only "victory" won here is that the wizarding community finally knows Voldermort is back. Small consolation, since those that can do anything about it (the Order of the Pheonix) already believed Harry.

The Mininstry of Magic, in an attempt to keep Harry Potter quiet, assign Delores Umbridge to the school. I would call Umbridge worse than Voldermort in many respects. Voldermort kills for the pleasure of killing, but is generally quick and painless about it. Once he sees the fear in his victim's eyes, he is satisfied and finishes them off. Torture is used to either get information from his victim or to make a point to his underlings. Inflicting pain for sport was something his underlings did.

Although Umbridge is never specifically mentioned as being a Death Eater, loves to leave people in perpetual misery. In particular, she bans Harry Potter (and the Weasley twins) from Quiddich and locks their brooms up. She also has a magic pen that, when used, prints the words in blood on the paper and etches the words on the writer's hand. These scars remain on Harry at least to the end of the 7th book. Just to keep people on edge between these major attacks, she produces an endless array of Ministry approved prohibitions and takes it upon herself to micromanage every teacher in Hogwarts. She threatened firing just about every staff member at Hogwarts at one time or another, except for Filtch (who loves her changes).

What Voldermort and Umbridge do have in common is a desire to impress their idea of a perfect society on others. The fact that their ideals are based on the genetic makeup of people, and therefore impossible to change, does not phase them at all. The obvious solution is to banish or kill those who don't measure up.

But this evil is not why I gave this book a low rating. The heroes, Harry in particular, never fully grasp what what is happening and are completely unable to stop it. Figuratively speaking, they are little more than test dummies and take whatever is given to them.

There were only two times that Harry and Co took a stand and the both backfired disasterously (three if you count the Weasley twins revenge, but that was short lived and had no lasting affect). The first was when Harry formed Dumbledore's Army, which resulted in Dumbledore being fired. The second was when Harry rushed to save Sirious Black from Voldermort. I won't say how that one ended for the sake of those that haven't read it yet, but suffice to say it caused the only regret Harry had in any of the seven books.

There is a difference between suffering and sacrafice, and this book was all suffering. No good came out of what Harry went through, either in this book or the sequels. However, in order to get the full effect of her last two Harry Potter books (which I think are the best in the series), reading this book is a must.

John Holland-author of The Necklace of Terrersylvanous

Just like the rest of the series written by author J.K. Rowling, this book delivers a plot that will leave you in awe.

J.K. Rowling brings the story of a young wizard to life with imaginitive storylines, descriptive writing and a great sense of humor. Her characters have such credibility, you will find yourself in love with some and loathing others.

I won't give away any spoilers for those who haven't read the book yet but a brief description: During his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry is at war (both mentally and physically). Cruel teachers and irksome students fill his days as no one believes that Lord Voldomort has indeed returned. He is made to look like a crazy, ranting lunatic in the newspapers of the wizarding world and only a minority of others believe he to be telling the truth. He begins having strange dreams that, in time, are found to be true events. With the help of Ron & Hermione, he uses his abilities in Defense against the Dark Arts to help other students. The ending is action-packed and certain not to leave the reader bored.

I am a fan of the entire Harry Potter series and was happy to add this book to my collection.

I love all of the Harry Potter books. I got into them after the 'Goblet of Fire' came out in paperback. I bought this one in hardcover and the last two. However, when my husband took the 'Order of the Phoenix' (his fave in the series) book to work, it was stolen! I had to rebuy it. I also have replaced all my paperbacks with the hardcovers. Now, I have the entire collection to read over and over and over again.
Although I love the entire series, as an idividual book, this is my favorite. Harry goes through so much this school year, including the loss of someone close to him. Rowling also starts to give a little more background so that the readers can understand what this fifteen year old boy is going through. It is so easy to loose yourself in the story. He looses so much in this book, yet is determined to stop He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. (Although, not many beleive he is even back. Poor Harry.)
Even though the book was written for a younger crowd, I'm one of those 'mid-thirties' moms that has fallen in love with this series. What's not to love? It's got good verses evil, lots of conflict, a touch of romance, and it's all tied together with a great dose of humor. My favorite characters are Fred and George Weasley. They are a RIOT! (The movies don't have them in nearly enough.) Your age shouldn't stop you from picking up this book. I've even had other exited adults talk to me in public about the books when they've seen me with these books! I beleive everyone should read the series. Because 'Order of the Phoenix' is my fave, that might even be a good one to start with!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was written by J.K. Rowling and released in hardcover format in 2003.

This is the first Harry Potter book that I have ever read. I have watched all of the previous movies and I decided to pick up this book for a little light (700+ pages :) ) reading when I was on vacation this summer. So I am aware of all the characters and plot lines based on what I saw in the movies.

I am a teacher and I really enjoyed this book. I found that the book went into so much more details then any of the movies did or can. I really enjoyed all the humour in Hogwarts! The subtle humour of students verses teachers was incredible. Watching how the teachers reacted to a new faculty member they did not like was awesome. :) I laughed out loud so many times that my wife was wondering if I was loosing it. Subtle humour and such. For example, the headmistress could not remove the swamp that the Weasley twins left behind, so it stayed. When Dumbledore returns the swamp is cleared up in thirty seconds by another teacher. ;)

The plot lines were interesting. The story was darker then most of the movies that I have seen. I love the fact that you watch Harry learn and experience more feelings that he has ever experienced before. Then how he learns a bit about his father and comes to question his actions.

You also learn more about He who must not be named and Dumbledore's factions. Not to mention the whole way the Ministry of Magic is ignoring the entire situation. :)

I loved this book. I am now looking forward to reading more books and watching this movie to see how it translates from the book. :)

5/5 A great read!

Latsyrhc
Tamarack Collectibles

With each book that you read in the Harry Potter series, you get pulled into an amazing world full of danger,despair, delightful repartee and personal growth. You grow along with the characters, reminiscent of everyones teen years, and understand very well how angst ridden it is.
In this book, the fifth one of the series; you travel back to Hogwarts with the gang and find upheavel in the castle. A new teacher is on staff, and she is a kids worst nightmare come true. She makes Snape's waspish tongue look motherly. Harry is again stuck trying to figure out his "gifts". This book is the start to explaining the connection between Harry and Voldemort. Throughout the termoil of new characters trying to harrass and pressure harry for answers, his best friends family is endangered and almost killed. As he stands by and see's the pain his friend goes through, he learns more about his darker side and fears how alike he is to his nemesis. You get amazing details into the side characters lives. Nevil shines in this book, showing a rare strength that hadnt been shown before. And Harry falls in love, which keeps a softer side of the story going.As the group of friends create a base for learning defensive spells, you bond with them and cheer for them. The dueling scenes along with the enviromental descriptions are enthralling. J.K. Rowling has done a splendid job combining the dark aspects of life with the touches of light that keep you reading.
I Bought the book because I had read the four before and had to know how it continued. I wanted the set so that I would be able to read them all again and again. I am really happy that I was able to finish the set.

REMEMBER!!! These are MY thoughts-not YOURS. If you don't like it, just remember it was YOUR CHOICE to read it.

Just so you know, I usually only write reviews of things I don't like so if you liked this book, this is NOT one of those glowing-OMG READ THIS BOOK!!!-reviews.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix book review: SORELY disappointing pile of crap that shouldn't be read by anyone-not even hardcore fans!

After reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix I am left with a bitter taste in my mouth. That bitter taste, my friends, is the foul concoction more commonly known as selling-out. As I read I found myself disoriented and experiencing double vision/fever/projectile vomiting... or possibly the flu, but without a doubt this turd disguised as a book contributed to the general unpleasantness I was feeling at the time. Besides making me sick as a corpse that book also infuriated me beyond belief. Why? you ask. The pointless killing of Sirius Black without provocation or plausible reason. Surely I am not the only one who read those books just to find out more about Sirius. When he was killed off like so much defenseless cattle I nearly fainted in horror and astonishment, for I couldn't think of a rational explanation for his death (since the one provided by the book was obviously no more than a vain attempt at an apology to his countless fans). That's when it hit me: sell out. Yes, my friends, J.K. Rowling: author of the beloved Harry Potter series has finally sold out. What a tragedy, and yet not an unexpected one. I was seriously considering not reading the last two books of the series but have decided against that and will continue to read if for no other reason than that of hoping Sirius will make a greatly anticipated return from the dead.
In conclusion, reading that book was torture and finishing near impossible but I think the experience can be summed up perfectly by Eric Cartman, "OH! MY A**!"

UPDATE: It took me four years, but I finally read the sixth book and was sooooo disappointed that I wanted to tear my eyes and brain out and boil them to cleanse them of the crap I'd read. I expected so much more. Well, not much more, but more than I got out of wasting my time on that book. I am done. I mean it this time. I asked a friend what happened at the end of it all and now that I know Sirius isn't coming back FOR SURE so I absolutely refuse to spend anymore of my time on this series.

Goblet of Fire brought a surprise dark ending - this takes it a bit further.

This book goes through the whole gamut of emotions for Harry and his friends - Harry is shown to be vulnerable to emotions that he cannot control (not entirely his own fault but you will see) and this book portrays him quite a bit as trying to get things done on his own (a preview of things to come or things to change - who knows). This book goes into the emotional side of Harry and the roller coaster ride it can be for a teen and also reasons highlighted at the end of the book.

New characters are introduced and you get a clearer picture of alliances and where people stand in the war against Voldemort.

He also finds out how costly it is to not listen to Dumbledore as another person close to him is lost. He blames himself and Dumbledore reveals a lot more answers (and raises a few more questions) at the end of this book.

This book clearly answers questions and definitely sets up for the next book.
You will get exposed to more dark magic in this book - a nice addition to see the both sides of the coin.

The books in this series are getting longer but as you will justly so. This book is definitely more exciting and darker than the others but it is a very good read and my wife and I had to fight for who gets to read it - the next book is being bought with an extra copy for her :-)

Disclaimer: I am an eBay employee and this review is my own opinion and is not written on behalf of eBay. This review does not reflect the views of my employer nor is it endorsed by them.

I bought the hard cover edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on Ebay some time in May. I have a small child and one on the way, so I don't always have time to read, but any chance I get, I have my nose burried in this book. J.K. Rowling never ceases to amaze me with her wild and vivid imagination, and her gift for presenting it to a wide audience. Every time I read a new Harry Potter book, I know I am going on a great adventure. It's hard sometimes to remember that the things she has written are not real, as they are so well planned. This book, although I am only on page 417 of 870, is exceptionally written and has a very gripping plotline. It's definately not as cheerful and happy as most of the others, and is a bit depressing at times, but I keep reading on knowing that things will get better for Harry, as Hermione and Ron help him through and outwitt the new, more cunning antagonist.

It's a long book, just like the 4th book, but it's worth every minute. I suggest the books over the movies any time. There are many bits of information and themes that have been totally missed in the movies. Dive in and hold on tight!

I love all Harry Potter books, they are so imaginative and inspiring. J.K. Rowling has a remarkable style. Anyone who loves magic and suspense should read this book.
Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix takes place mostly at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the Ministry of Magic. Two dementors of Azkaban attack Harry Potter and his cousin, Dudley. Harry Potter is taken to headquarters of the society known as the Order of the Phoenix. There he is informed of that Lord Voldemort might be after something he didn't have the last time. Heading back to Hogwarts with his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry feels more alone than ever. Dumbledore stays away from him and there is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Her name is Professor Umbridge. Professor Umbridge is the undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who appoints her as High Inquisitor. She refuses to teach her classes any spells. With Hermione and Ron's encouragement, Harry agrees to train a selection of students who become known as the D.A. or Dumbledore's Army. But when Umbridge finds out and Dumbledore runs away, Harry is faced with a dream that frightens him and convinces him to go to the Ministry of Magic. But Harry does not go alone for his five friends, Hermione, Ron, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood, want to go with him. When they arrive at the Ministry Harry discovers the weapon and realizes that himself and his friends are in a trap from Lord Voldemort. When someone special to Harry dies, he discovers that he has to control his thoughts when he comes face to face with Lord Voldemort.

This is by far my favorite book in the series. Chock full of info and lets you get inside the danger that is looming on the horizon for everyone involved with bringing down the Dark Lord. Much better than the movie (eventhough the movie was great in its own right) in the aspect that it has more info. The movie was great in my opinion but there was no way to get everything from the book in the movie so it makes a great companion in that aspect. See the movie then read the book it will definitely make the reading more enjoyable if you do it in that order. Delores Umbridge tries to come across as being nice and sweet with her great pinkness and cute kittens but you learn that she has an evil soul and an ugly heart.Molly Weasley emerged as my favorite character even more so after this book. She has always been in the front running for my fave character but this book shows her genuine love, concern, fear and sadly she has the "sight" that Trelawny has talked about. Pace yourself though, it is quite long and you CANNOT rush through this book which you will find yourself doing without realizing it. I had to stop and go back several times in order to find something I missed. Definitely worth a re-read after you complete it so you can find things you might have missed. You will definitely cheer the return of the Centaurs.

Once again J.K. Rowling has managed to keep me in my seat reading, not an easy task. In this, her fifth book, she shows us some of the true characteristics of typical teenagers, mainly which the world tends to be against them and doesn't care what they think or what kind of situation they may be in. As an adult I caught myself thinking that Harry just needs to "get over it" and that it could be worse. Then I was gently reminded that Harry's thoughts and feelings are very typical of the teenage years. By the end of the book, Harry seemed to have matured a little bit more and once again realized that Dumbledore is only looking out for Harry's well being as best he can. I found myself seeing Dumbledore’s attempts becoming like all "parents" attempts, not always getting it right; and occasionally needing to be forgiven for our attitudes and actions. A very good read and well worth the money. If you haven't read any of the Harry Potter books I recommend that you start with the first one, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but you don't have to. J.K. Rowling has written the books so each one can be read without having read any of the others, but as with all series it helps to start at the beginning.

I have a personal passion for books in series but there is always that fear that the author will produce a great 1st book in a series but then fall apart for the remainder books. J. K. Rowling does not falter but enriches the imagination of the reader and makes the characters a continual interest with each passing book.

In the 5th installment of the Harry Potter series Harry Potter returns to Hogswart and faces the reality of what fear can do to anyone, especially adults. Yet as a young adult he steps in and faces adversity and hate with a truth set in him knowing the right and wrong of the world.

This book, though it carries a darker story line, offers beautiful moments of hope in oneself and how fear can be overcome when you are loved and love another.

Someone once told me that when reading "Junk in is junk out" and referred to the multi-award winning Harry Potter series as junk. So I decided to see what this junk was all about. For a series of books written for children they grabbed hold of me and kept me glued to the pages. This book, the fifth in the series, continues to add new challenges and characters at The Hogwarts's School for Harry, Ron and Hermione. Dislikes none. I'm looking forward to reading these books with my grandchildren for many years to come.

I love the whole Harry Potter series and this one is no different. It does take a rather darker tone in this book than the past books, but it has to. J.K. Rowling has an amazing gift for writing in detail and bringing a world of fantasy and fiction to life. I love it!!!

I bought this book because I had every book but this one, so I wanted to complete my collection.

This is perhaps my favorite book of the Harry Potter series.

In Harry's 5th year he goes to some dark places, both in the wizarding world and in his own mind.

Although this series can still be read by kids, this book clearly gives us a good idea of where JK Rowling will eventually take us in this series.

Notably, it is also the longest book in the Harry Potter series so you'll certainly get your money's worth!

But a review is scarcely necessary. If you are a Harry Potter fan you've almost certainly read this book already. If you're not a fan, then I can only say that you're missing out on a great series.

It is certainly not a kiddie series. All the books, including Order Of The Phoenix, are well written, exciting, humorous, and engrossing.

Of all the books in the Harry Potter series, the fourth installment is by far my favorite. Harry struggles and learns as he attends his fourth year at Hogwarts, This year however, the school hosts an infamous tournament. Two other wizarding schools travel to Hogwarts for the year to compete in the competition. I love how JK Rowling is able to incorporate reality into such a fictional book. All the problems and emotions that Harry experiences are easily related to. This book was suspenseful and packed with action. If you need a book that you can't put down, I highly recommend this one.

I definately think this is the best book of the Harry Potter series! I thought Goblet of Fire would be my favorite, but I was wrong, Order of the Phoenix is the best! As Harry has grown older, the book reveals more about his family and his godfather, Sirius. The darker side of the story begins to show and the battle of good vs evil becomes more prevalent. Great book!

As the 5th and largest installment of the Harry Potter series, Rowling does not do a great job with character development and plot advancement in this book. That said, it's a must read if you have read the previous 4 books and if you intend to read the rest of the books.

The book is long and very slow at times. There is not much character development, and the reader isn't given any sense of a strong, developing plot.

The whole series of Harry Potter Books is a must read. They are not just children's books. I see so much in past world history, WWII. How a few people with hatred and prejudice as their flag can take over if no one takes a stand and fights back. But, it is so much more. It speaks of love and loyalty to family and friends. I picked the fifth book, but, all the books should be read, especially to children.

I purchased the book to have the hardback . Even so I am a senior citizen and have read all of the Harry Potter novels. I plan passing them on to my grandchildren along with all of my other Books . This individual I dealt with , was very fast and did not over charge for shipping . Tom Hill P.S. There is one thing I would like to see EBay do . I personal, like to pay with a personal check ! The reason for that is that I am old fashioned . It has nothing to do with convenience , it has to do with "as the younger people put it " being in the loop . Buying and selling is a social thing . It was one of humanity's first social interaction . So much for my babbling . The Point is, to set up a grading system for the likely hood of the check being good . This, I guess would be done or considered by the track record of the individual. T.H.

The Order of the Phoenix was a good book because of its detail into the mind of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling filled some holes in her plot, but seemed to have created more at the same time. The book was very interesting, though Harry can be frustrating to read about at times. With a good ending, this novel is an exciting continuation of the series.

This book, like the others, is written so extremely well that I was awake more than one long night reading it. It opens so many new questions about Snape and Dumbledore and of course, Harry himself. It is a little violent for the very young ones, but an excellent read. Impossible to put down, the story line keeps getting better and more and more complicated. As new characters are added old and beloved characters leave. You just can't miss this series.