The audio book is truly excellent. I strongly recomend it, not only to youths. The CD is a full version of the book. It's performed by Jim Dale, who does an excellent job so that it's hard to believe that there's only one actor.

MK

The largest and second best, in my opinon, of the series is when the good side fights back. Voldemort is slaughtering "for fun" and The Order of the Phoenix won't stand for it. The Order of he Phoenix is basically the equivelent of the Justice League. The ending is a duel between the two greatist wizards alive and will keep you wanting more.

Overall:
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4.5 stars for Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix. It is dense, quick paced book with a lot of character development and life lessons for the characters in the story. The concept of Death and the implications of Death are driven home for Harry. The book is like "The Empire Strikes Back" for the Star Wars Episode 4 - 6 for the Harry Potter series.

Characters:
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Harry is clearly a petulent teenager which is a scary thought given his magical abilities. I find Harry to not be very smart and keeps missing obvious things in plot as well as refuses to prepare himself properly for the upcoming battles / trials. Harry's disregard for advice by others is not something that should be encouraged in your readers. I believe JKR is trying to show the consequences of not studying and working hard but the consequences will need to be more dire.

Ron and Hermiene are showing more emotional growth and development that Harry to me. I do like to see that they are acting a bit more mature and seem to be learning from their experiences more. I do get tired of the nearly constant shout and temper tantrums by Harry.

Frankly, I find reading bits with Harry in it a bit annoying.

Story:
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The overall plot line of the Harry Potter saga is advanced quite a bit in the book. See other reviews for details (no need to recount them again here). JKR moves the story along to help set the stage for the Dark Lords return to full power. The theme of disunity and how it feeds the dark part of the human condition are large in the story. The death of Sirius is drastic blow to Harry especially the way it happens -- quick and due to carelessness by Sirius. The potential cost of their consequences is vividly demonstrated for the young characters in the book.

Action:
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The book has a lot of action in it. I will not go into all of the action scenes as other reviewers have done that admirably. The action is clean and crisp with enough pacing to keep you turning the pages late into the evening. J. K. Rowling's style for action is well established at this point and she keeps it consistent.

If you liked the other Harry Potter books, you will like the action and pacing in this book.

My biggest question regarding the book is why is the "Order" not killing off the Death Eaters one by one. It is fine to stun them but it does not solve your problem of having to fight the Death Eaters later. Since the dementors went over to join the Dark Lord in the last revolt, it should be obvious that the dementors will let the Death Eaters out of Azkahban at the worst possible time for the "Order". I understand that JKR is trying to say that killing is bad and damages your soul/changes you but it is a war. The lesson would be better shown by showing how a loved character is forever changed/damaged by the act of killing.

Also, if the Death Eaters start to get killed off, there will be less people signing up to be one knowning that those who "live by the sword will die by the sword". The Death Eaters will not stick together when they know death is really on the line...self-preservation will kick in vs. the need to serve a greater good that good characters have.

Prose:
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J. K. Rowlings writing style stays consistent with the prior two books. I am glad that see has decided to expand the descriptive language in her prose to help further build out the Harry Potter Milieu. The prose is targeted toward young adults so the vocabulary is fairly easy but she does not over simplify the language for the reader.

Summary:
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Overall: 4.5 stars
Characters: 4 to 4.5 stars
Story: 4 to 4.5 stars
Action: 4 to 4.5 stars
Prose: 3.5 stars

Yet another great Harry Potter book!! comparing to the movie... this book it's way beyond it. There's nothing like reading a good book and this is one of those books you must read =)

I think this was one of my favorites in the series. I have to say that Rowling does such a great job of creating characters that seem so alive, I actually feel as though I know them. I just want the story to keep going on and on and on.

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.

I remember when this book was about to come out, the hype, the media, the LONG lines.
If you weren't smart enough to preorder this book you were out of luck.
Harry Potter was all over the news and the media was in a complete frenzy.
The book is just as long as all the others and just as brilliant.
Without giving away any of the story line, more drama, more action, another blazing story line and another masterpiece.
If you've stuck with Harry this long, then this book won't disappoint.
Can J.K. do anything wrong?
No.
Another masterpiece and another must read.
Recommended.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (year 5 at Hogwarts)... This is a very tricky book for me to review. I have mixed feelings about it for a lot of reasons, which I will elucidate momentarily. However, I decided to award it 5 stars, based more on my "gut reaction" than anything else. Here's why:

This book is chalk full of some of my absolute favorite moments in the series. The character of Umbridge, while extremely one-dimensional, is also very effective as a foil to Harry in this book. She frustrates me to no end, and I dearly wish her to get her comeuppance. Thus, any circumstance in which someone stands up to her (notably, Fred and George, McGonagall, and Dumbledore) is an absolute delight, and these are the moments that stand out in my mind when I think about the book. We also meet the fantastic, imaginative character of Luna Lovegood, one of my favorites.

Another great thing about this story is the fact that the central struggle is not between "good and evil," (i.e. Harry/Dumbledore etc. vs. Voldemort), but rather it is between, as spelled out in book 4, what is right and what is easy. Harry, Dumbledore, and a select group of believers are preparing to fight the danger of Voldemort's return, whereas the Ministry of Magic is in outright denial of the return, and goes to unbelievable lengths to frustrate Harry's and Dumbledore's attempts to spread the word. This generates a unique story, in which characters who should be on the same side are working against each other, and I think it creates a wonderful dramatic tension. It also inspires "Dumbledore's Army," one of the most effective examples of character growth in the series.

On the other hand, the book has several faults that are hard to ignore. For one, it is very LONG, and could use a great deal of editorial tightening. It also begins to have a lot of plot holes and logical gaps, and returns to the disturbing trend of inept adults (does the Order of the Phoenix accomplish anything at all in the course of the year?). Perhaps the most annoying aspect of the book is the nearly unbearable negativity of Harry throughout, which may be understandable given his circumstances, but it certainly gets old fast.

In the end, I guess I am able to overlook the shortcomings of the story and simply enjoy its better moments, possibly because by this point in the series, I am already committed to the long haul. It is definitely the last book of the series that has much left of the "fun" that made the first part of the series so enjoyable, so... enjoy it while you can!

Ever since the fourth book it is possible to see that the writter has been making the series more dark, and sad for the poor Harry Potter, he is a boy who suffered alright, apart from losing his parents, and his awful family at Pivet Drive he has seen few happiness besides Hogwarts, but it has been growing more thin.

The fourth book has ended sadly, but it was to be expected, however the parts at which we read for are becoming less important at the end of the books(triwizard tournament for one).

I believe the whole rebellion thing to be poor explored in this book, and it seems that you have no idea what the book wants to tell just until near the end, and again it ends in tears of the poor Harry Potter, he just doesn't seem to be very lucky right.

It feels as this book was just an passage from the fourth to the sixth book, with no real effect on the series, except all the things that Harry has lost, and even when you think that he finally has something good, and BANG he loses it.

Overall, good book, but between the others (1-5) it is the worst, and most annoying, I read the 870 pages, and felt that few has passed, and nothing of importance ocurred, maybe the excessive characters this time were the problem.

And Cho, damm'it, can' this guy get a little some, not even and girlfriend he deserves???

Anyway, now it seems like an fanboy complaint, not so much, it just seems that for Rowling, the maturement needed involved bad things happening non stop.

But it is real cool to see the growth of the characters, clearly getting older.

3 out of 5 is the top I will give it, hope the sixth one will be better.

Let me first say that I really enjoyed the first three books of the series, but I almost died of boredom from this one. While I know I'm going to disappoint the diehard Potter fan out there, this book just lost me. It started with book four and just went downhill from there. While I found the first three books of this series to be quirky, fun, and fresh, the series has taken a definite shift into the more serious realm. While on the outside this would seem to be a natural course (especially if the characters are aging), I have found myself disappointed with the way Rowling has handled it. The explanations have become long and winded, Harry has turned into a self-pitying little whiner, and though the villains want to be taken seriously, I just don't find them very sinister. Now proponents of the books will say that Harry is just being a teenager and that Rowling has little choice but to thicken the plot. While these would be good counterarguments, the most important thing missing is "fun." These books just aren't fun (for me) to read anymore. If I want a serious read, I'll turn to the works of Tolkien, Jordan, or even Martin. That being said, I'll most likely get completion through going to the movie adaptations that are soon to come out. So in a sense, Rowling hasn't lost me for good. If I rained on anybody's love fest for the series, you have my permission to mark this as an unhelpful review.

Others have summarized the plot nicely, so I won't do so here. I just wanted to say that I was truly engaged in this book, as I have been in the others. It's a pleasure to read something that is so transporting. I also admire Ms Rowling's skill at weaving in back stories and changing her writing style to match the older audiences each successive book is aimed at. This book is definitely a bit darker than the one before it, with the stakes much higher and alliances and motives of the characters much less clear. As soon as I finished this one, I had to dive right into the sixth, which made me very glad that I was a Muggle and waited until all the books were out before starting the series! If you haven't read this series yet, by all means do!

The saga continues but the story darkens. No longer is this a "children's story", but a tale of a young man who is dealing with a dark past. He has lost his celebrity status and is viewed as a liar with exagerated stories. Harry is changing, and I fear not for better.

I don't know which harry potter is my favorite but the order of the phoenix is up there. What an incredible book. Rowling outdid herself with the last three books. I recommend it as a quick read. then read it again to catch details you missed the first time around.

The darkest Harry Potter so far, The Order of the Phoenix does not disappoint. Harry is 15 years old and goes through everything that the age involves - both good and bad. Rowling does a fantastic job of transitioning Harry into an adult, remembering all the intricacies of that strange and conflicting age we all go through.

Harry is faced with being discredited on the account of the Lord Voldemort sighting, as well as by using magic in the muggle world. Harry is perplexed by the lack of support from Dumbledore, and is full of anger as he traipses through the unfortunate events that are unfolding. Things are not helped by the appearance of Dolores Umbridge, new teacher at Hogwarts, whose sole mission in life seems to be pacifying and subduing anyone who might be a threat to the Minister of Magic, no matter how ill-perceived. And the biggest threats seem to be Harry and Dumbledore.

Another fantastic feat from Rowling, the fifth Harry Potter is a great read requiring full concentration. Instead of making the interest for the topic wane, Rowling whets our appetites even further, and makes us want for more of Harry and Hogwarts. The darkness of the book only exemplifies Rowling's growth. Highly recommended!

The 5th installment of the Harry Potter series is just as great as the other books. Yes it does take a bit of a darker turn but the characters are getting older and discovering how not all adults are good as they appear.
The cursed Defense Against the Dark Arts post is filled by Dolores Jane Umbridge. She is a pink wearing, half-breed hating, minister loving, witch! J.K. Rowling creates a character who everyone will learn to hate almost as much as the students Professor Umbridge teaches.
As if having one of the evilest teachers ever isn't bad enough for Harry; almost all of the wizarding world thinks he and Dumbledore are both nutters. The Daily Prophet and the minister himself are determined to believe that Voldemort is not back; but anyone with a brain knows he is back and proof is all around.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione become rebelious and fight for what's right, and take down everything that stands in their way. It is a wonderfully written book that will appeal to many people.

This product was a good value, and even though it was used it was in great condition. Would do business with seller again. Quick and easy transaction.

... I want to resist reviewing the book, as so many have, and just say something about the audio experience.
... Jim Dale is one of the best voice actors I've ever listened to and he brought the books to life an a way that reading could never do. I like reading, but it's really incredible to have someone put a different voice to every character, displaying the emotions and tone of the interactions.
... They are a really phenomenal experience, and I've listened to them over again and again.

This was the most fantastic of the entire series. I thought JKR had topped of the entire series with the 4th book but no. She did it again in Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix. I think my favorite part of the whole thing was how evil the villain was. And no I'm not talking about Voldemort. Dolores Jane Umbridge was even worse then Voldemort. In the brilliant words of my brother, "I think I would rather chill-out with Voldemort than with somebody like Umbridge. Even the Death Eaters are not nearly as bad as her and she's supposed to be the good guy!"
The plot was great and the fact that Harry brought about the problem at the very end on himself was really interesting.
You most definitely need to buy this book!

I have read the books and seen the movie. I bought my first set of audiobooks on a whim. I love them, I listen to them when I am driving. It helps to block out all the frustration from the heavy traffic in southern calif. I don't mind the time it takes to get home anymore. Sometimes I even sit in my car in the garage to hear the end of the chapter. I also pickup on things in the story I missed before. I want all of the Harry Potter books cuz I like listening to them over and over. But there are alot of different books that are audio now. There is even a rental club like netflix.

Definitely a really good book. A reoccuring theme of the Harry Potter series is that at the beginning, Harry is always eager to leave the Dursleys home, because of the miserable time that he always has with them during summer.

Also, it seems that in the books before, except for the first book, the Weasley's have played a role in breaking Harry free of the Dursley's clutches. This shows the strong connection between Potter and his best friend Ron. However, J.K. Rowling leads us in the beginning to believe that Ron and Hermione have forgotten him.

Once again, Harry recieves a new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, which also is a reoccuring theme. Throughout the story, Harry has these "dreams", which Lord Voldemort takes advantage of, and uses them to hurt people close to Potter. Later, Sirius is killed, not by Lord Voldemort, but by his cousin, the Death Eater Bellatrix. Harry is devastated.

As the book ends, Harry learns that the only way to win the ongoing fight against Lord Voldemort, is to go home, where his mother's love runs through Aunt Petunia. So, for one more miserable summer, Harry leaves Hogwarts once again, and returns home to the Dursley's.

If you are someone who doesn't like to sit down for a while a read, I can guarantee that you will with Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix. I am not one to sit for hours at a time, reading a book, but I finished it in just three days. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, wanting more and more.

Get it!!!

Definitely a really good book. A reoccuring theme of the Harry Potter series is that at the beginning, Harry is always eager to leave the Dursleys home, because of the miserable time that he always have with them in summer.

Also, it seems that in the books before, The Weasley's have played a role in breaking Harry free of the Dursley's clutches, except for the first book. This shows the strong connection between Potter and his best friend Ron. However, J.K. Rowling leads us in the beginning to believe that Ron and Hermione have forgotten him.

Once again, Harry recieves a new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, which also seems to be a reoccuring theme. Throughout the story, Harry has these "dreams", which Lord Voldemort takes advantage of, and uses them to hurt people close to Potter. Later, Sirius is killed, not by Lord Voldemort, but by his cousin, the Death Eater Bellatrix. Harry is devastated.

As the book ends, Harry learns that the only way to win the ongoing fight against Lord Voldemort, is to go home, where his mother's love runs through Aunt Petunia. So, for one more miserable summer, Harry leaves Hogwarts once again, and returns home to the Dursley's.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is darker than previous installments in JK Rowling's beloved series. Harry is struggling with the scar he received from Voldemort as an infant. He finds himself in the bureaucratic nightmare of the Ministry of Magic,and deals with Dolores Umbridge,one of JK Rowling's more colorful and insidiously wicked villains. Umbridge seems innocuous with her pink clothes and sappily sweet smile...but she turns Hogwarts into an oppressive nightmare. Harry starts "Dumbledore's Army" as a form of revolt,as preparations for battle with Voldemort.

At the same time,Harry has become paranoid and easily angered. He pushes away his friends-Ron and Hermione.He is less sympathetic in this book than others. In "Order of the Phoenix",Harry finally dates Cho Chang,with whom he's been enamored since "Prisoner of Azkaban." Their relationship problems are realistically shown. Harry finds Cho too emotionally dependent,shoving her away despite her pain;Cho is still carrying a torch for her dead Cedric.

"Order of the Phoenix" isn't exactly a children's book. JK Rowling uses the Ministry of Magic to criticize bureaucracy. The story is more cerebral than action-oriented. Rowling doesn't seem to know if she's writing for children or teens...or adults. It's darker and moodier,and moves a great deal slower. There are times when it's almost stagnant. In the end,Harry learns from Dumbledore that Voldemort possessed him-a rather disturbing and heavy concept for youngsters. There's also a disappointing character death that either (a)should've been handled better or (b)cut completely. JK Rowling has begun killing off characters simply to be shocking,and not really forwarding the plot. Due to the looong gap between "Goblet of Fire" and "Order of the Phoenix",one can see that JK Rowling wasn't all that uncomfortable returning to it. She's more contractually obliged than engaged with her story. Can this series be saved?

I wanted a hard back copy of this book, as I have hard backs of all the other Harry Potter books. Somehow this got missed. I got exactly what I wanted for a very reasonable price.

ORDER OF THE PHOENIX could well be my favorite book of them all, if Azkaban and Deathly Hallows weren't as good as they were. For all the talk about GOBLET being the one where Rowling really hikes up the intensity and the complexity in the series, it is here, in PHOENIX, she gives us Potter's darkest, and most complex, adventure of all.

The second most complex novel in the entire Potter sequence (the first being Book 7), this book is probably the second best one, though I still like Azkaban better. This novel introduces the Order of the Phoenix, a whole litany of new characters and a more indepth look at the Ministry For Magic.

Potter has been having bad dreams about a locked door. So he must find out what to do about that. While at home with the Dursleys, he and Dudley are attacked by dementors, and so he stands trial before the Ministry for the inappropriate use of underage magic. He ultimately must appear before the Ministry, and it is only by Dumbledore's appearance he is saved.

But the Ministry is not finished yet. Still under staunch denial that Voldemort is back, Cornelius Fudge sends a new teacher, Dolores Umbridge, to bring Hogwarts under the Ministry's control. Much of the storyline revolves around Umbridge as she takes over Hogwarts, eventually ousting Dumbledore, who goes on the run. Her end is very well justified.

I remember when I read the book back in 2003 when it initially came out being rather disappointed. I wasn't a big fan of GOBLET, and I couldn't way to spend more time in Harry's universe, being back at Hogwarts with characters I know and love. But when I read PHOENIX, though, I felt even more lost and rather alienated. Hogwarts was being taken over. Hagrid was missing for half the book. Dumbledore is extremely distant (for reasons explained at the end of the novel). The Ministry is taken over, and it's run by a man who doesn't know what the hell is going on. There was a lot going on in this novel, and it was all rather depressing. Harry became angry and had severe mood swings, and was always snapping at the people around him. On the positive note he did get some romance,but ultimately even that frizzled out. Harry even had to take "Defense Against the Dark Arts" underground, as Umbridge refuses to even acknowledge Voldemort at all, as per Ministry order.

When I reread it in 2007 in prepration for DEATHLY HALLOWS, my stocks in this book absolutely soared. This is a dark, dark book, and while I still felt rather alienated and cut off from Rowling's magical world and the Ministry Interference, this time around I realised how masterfully crafted this novel truly is.

ORDER, as far as I'm concerned, is where Rowling truly stopped writing children's fiction, but crafting a dark, bitter book about dark, bitter times in her character's lives. Reading ORDER, and especially about Umbridge, keeps reminding one of Orwell and his horrific visions in 1984 and ANIMAL FARM.

Umbridge is easily one of her best characters she ever wrote, and one of the most despicable characters in all of fiction. It is people like Umbridge that brought Hitler to power in the early 1930s, and who would enable him to commit the many atrocities that he did during WWII (and I thought that for a long time before HALLOWS came out, in which Umbridge has turned into a type of Nazi who fully subscribes to Voldemort's racial genocide).

It is here, with ORDER, in which Rowling shows us the evil of bureaucracy, of how Voldemort isn't the only person in which massive evil lurks.

I also love how Rowling greatly expands her environment from the previous novels. We see for the first time St. Mungo's (and have a rather morose encounter with Gilderoy Lockheart from Book 2). We get to go inside the Ministry For Magic, and a very impressive place it is. Grimmauld Place, along with Sirius, is also very entertaining.

And we get some great new characters. Thestrals. The beautifully bizaare Luna Lovegood. Gwarp. Kingsley Shacklebolt. And a personal favorite, Nymphadora Tonks.

The series also has one of my favorite scenes in all of literature: when Dumbledore brings Firenze on during the rainstorm as the new divination teacher (a scene I was so disappointed they cut on the movie. The seeds were they but they cut it damn it.).

The climax of the book is great, with Dumbledore's Army truly coming into their own as they fight against the Death Eaters, who are trying to take the Prophecy from the Hall of Prophecy in the Ministry For Magic. I love that whole end sequence. And the death Rowling includes is just brutal, not really how she kills off the character but the fact she killed him off at all. Interestingly enough, Arthur Weasly, who survives an attack in this novel, was originally slated to die, but Rowling could not bear to kill him off. He was also supposed to die in Book 7, but she couldn't kill him then either, and he was the only real normal fatherfigure in the series, and a good father at that.

And naturally, we get to learn some vastly important information about Neville Longbottom. Following the trend of other installments in the series in regards to introducing apparently non-essential characters and information,, he turns out to much more important than you would suppose. We also begin to learn Dumbledore isn't as flawless as you would like to think.

Another thing I really like about the book is you really do feel like the stakes are really high, which you should as we're only two books away from the end. In fact, HALF-BLOOD PRINCE seemed almost a step back in terms of complexity and highs takes atmosphere from this one.

One thing that should be noted is this is a real doorstop of a book. At a quarter of a million worlds (half as long as Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS), this is easily one of the longest children's books ever published. Rowling has even said she wish she could go back and edit this book down, as she feels it is too long. But what would she cut? Great stuff, but very long for kids. Speaks to the amazing appeal these books have that children have read something as long as this.

Overall, one of my favorite Potter books. I think it's even better than AZKABAN on a literary level, but I still prefer Azkaban to this as a personal preference. Still, this is one of Potter's best. Don't go in thinking you'll have as much fun at Hogwarts. These are dark times, and the war really is beginning.

We can only hope Potter and his friends will pull through.

this was a great book to read the series is starting to get good and this person delivered faster then my other book

After reading the fourth book in the series I thought it could just not get any better... boy was I wrong! Harry staves off an attack by Dementors, saves his cousin's life, and has to face a trial at the Ministry of Magic, all before the school year even begins.

With Voldemort back, Dumbledore has recalled the Order of the Phoenix, a group of Wizards and Witches that fought against You-Know-Who the last time. Harry is hidden away for a short period of time at the secret head quarters of the Order, while awaiting his trail at the Ministry of Magic for 'Under Age Use of Magic away from School'. It soon becomes evident that the Minister of Magic is not only determined to not believe that Voldemort has returned, but has even started a compaign to discredit both Harry and Dumbledore to try and prevent people from believing them.

During the School year Harry and the other fifth years have increasingly large piles of school work to complete, and to perpare for their OWLs, which come at the end of their fifth year. Meanwhile the students, and teachers, have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to deal with, who has been appointed by the Ministry of Magic! Things at Hogwarts go from bad to worse, as this new teacher is given a wide range of powers over the other teachers via a stream of Ministry 'Educational Decrees'. Meanwhile Harry is plagued by troubling dreams, of traveling down a darkened hallway to a mysterious door, which leaves his scar burning more and more intensely. Perhaps even more puzzling, and disturbing, to Harry is the fact that Dumbledore seems to be going to lengths to ignore him.

Anyone who has enjoyed the past books in this series will love 'The Order of the Phoenix. This book takes the mystical fantasy elements of the earlier books, and ties them into an increasingly darkening plot line, pitting Harry and his friends against even worse dangers around every corner.

RD Williams, author of 'The Lost Gate'.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was far darker than the previous book but kept my interest throughout. Many of the characters are either becoming more sinister or are displaying a great tenacity to fight evil. Overall, I enjoyed this book far more than the previous one although the Potter series, as a whole, still doesn't strike me a "great literature" but rather an entertaining experience. I will say that as the plot progressed, I've become more eager to find out what's going to happen next; therefore, I'm going to start book six tonight.

In this fifth book of the Harry Potter series we join Harry at the first part of the summer after his fourth year at Hogwarts. Harry finds himself back with the Dursleys, isolated in the Muggles' world once again. But all this changes as Dementors attack him. We then move into the school year where things do not look up for Harry. It seems that the Ministry of Magic has made sure that no one would believe of Harry's encounter with Voldemort of nothing more than his imagination.

During the school year it seems our hero does not deal well with his adolescent years. He is clueless about everything; what is happening to him, his friends, relationships, and common sense nor is he able to take advice. It is his almost constant whining, inability to control his anger and ineptitude in daily teenage life that has me drop my rating to three. Even with this the plot is moved along as we are introduced to the Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts curriculum trying to cause change by the Ministry of Magic, and Harry scar gives more warnings.

I too thought the book was very drawn out, however, I understand why this needed to happen. The Order of the Phoenix takes place after the fourth (Duh) in which the readers come to find that the lovely Voldermort has come back and stronger than ever. Plagued with constant ridicule from the daily prophet and the minister of magic Harry must remain calm and continue to do as he does and fight the snickers and the sneers from the people at Hogwarts. I really liked the beginning of this book because it started off with some pretty good suspense. There is an introduction of two new characters and I thought very much that they added quite nicely to the dynamic of the story. I positivley promise that you are going to loathe one of the new people so much, it will make your head spin. The kids at Hogwarts begin to take matters in their own hands when forces are way out of their control and the book moves nicely into some history of Harry's family and professor snape. The end is a great ending and a brilliant set up for the sixth ( I have already started it, soo good). If you have seen the movie and are wondering if this book may be for you, just pick it up and enjoy it.

I've read every single book J.K. Rowling's has written in this series. I've loved each one. Her books make you want to keep on reading to the end. I feel when I read them that I'm there, she is that good. If you haven't read them you need to.

At first I didn't like this book as much as the others...however as I stuck with the progression of this book I really started to enjoy the character development and the plot of the story (through all books). It is a definite turn down a darker path, both with the story but also as the characters realize Lord Voldemort is really back to his full power. It really upset me the way Dumbledore was acting towards Harry, but at the end it is all explained. I had to wait for the last book to be released to start reading this series, and I'm glad I did, I couldn't have waited for new books to be released...this series is one of the greatest ever written, in my opinion, and well worth the sleepless nights it has had me staying up reading.

This book will be a classic. The author has invented a story that rivals the best stories ever written. I'm sure a review like mine has already been expressed in so many ways by much more qualified people than me.

This is truly a great read!

If you read my review of HP 1 you'll see that I'd to read these books because a friend lost a wager. I started to read this series and asking my kids' friends how was the book I'll start reading. Maybe 70% of them told me this is the worst book, but I had to read it.

Why is the worst book of the previous 4? Because this book is a review of all of them. you'll read nothing new, you'll read about the pensive, about Harry's ugly family, about how Snape hates Harry but still helping him, about every derisive mocks to Ron and Hermione from Malfoy among other things.

There are also two or three chapters that could be written in 2 or 3 pages instead of 30 or so, e.g. "Detention with Dolores", "Grawp" and maybe two more that I don't want to say it because I don't want to spoil your reading if you still want to read it.

I was told that the book number six is very good, so I'll continue the reading.

How was that Harry never saw the winged horses at the hackneys before?

P.S: As I said of the previous books I really like Hermione.

I have read all the books, but wanted to read them again. With a 45 min drive to and from work, listening to them on disc was awesome. And now, I can continue to listen to them over and over again. Jim Dale is perfect for the Harry Potter series.

Well if you're looking at this product you're probably like me, busy and not the biggest fan of sitting down to read. I've always been a big fan of stories but I could just never find the time to read because of work and when I did I am admittedly an abysmally slow reader. After years of hearing how amazing these books, the Harry Potter series, were and loving every movie immensely it finally dawned on me to see if there was an audio book and there obviously is.

When I first started listening to the series I must admit I was a little turned off because Stephen Fray came across as a little dry and I was beginning to think the audio books weren't going to be much more tolerable than simply reading the books. As new characters are introduced though I was pleased to find that he managed to give most of them a unique personality and even more so that he maintains these personas not just through this single book but all the way to where I am now, The Half Blood Prince. Aside from just their vocal definition Fry also manages to display a diverse range of emotion for each individual character as if there is a separate actor for each character, it's really quite an amazing performance in my opinion. At certain times various audio filters are added for dramatic effect like echo and things of the sort and I guess that's really the only place this audio book comes up short for me is that there really isn't a whole lot to it other than Stephen Fry reading the books. This being my first audio book I can't really compare it to anything but I guess I was expecting at least some music between chapters or maybe some ambient sound effects but I still find the overall experience enjoyable without them.

There are probably hundreds of reviews for the books themselves so I'll keep my opinions on the series short and sweet. I believe the thing that I like most about the Harry Potter series is the overall charm of everything and the connection Rawling maintains to both the real world and real life. She really seems to nail human archetypes and the teenage inner dialogue and I can't help but think there are many pieces of her own children in this book. It showcases such an amazing insight as to the way people think and feel that I really can't help but be awe inspired. Like I said though, I'm not a big reader/listener so I imagine there are better books out there but that really doesn't take away from this series' ability to crack a smile on my face at work. I guess my only gripe is that it sometimes appears as if she has some favorite words or a limited vocabulary or perhaps people in England just find these words more common but there is an obtuse overuse of the words incredulous, glower, and one other that I will add in a couple of hours when I remember it. This obviously isn't a big deal but it can make me cringe a little.

Anyways, I work in science and listen to these all day when I don't have to read for work and I'm actually doing lab work and they have improved my enjoyment at work immensely so they come highly recommended by me. Each book is probably about 18-24 hours long off the top of my head so the whole series should take you a while to get through. I hope you enjoy!

I was really frustrated during the first half of it. Everything seemed to be going wrong for Harry and I was getting tired of it. But then again, it it did get worse in the end. I guess the series must be written well, since this is the fifth book and still has me burning through the pages wanting to find out what's going to happen next. I've already started on the next one.

I was excited to read this novel when I stood in line at midnight to purchase it. Unfortunately, this version was not as well edited as it should've been. As is stated in the publishing world: the first edit is for the author, the second is for the audience. Because I only gave this novel three stars does not mean I hate the book or didn't properly read it. And if you give one of your favorite authors a less than stellar review doesn't mean you're not a "true" fan. I believe the story was there, but the book just needed to be trimmed way back to make the plot tighter. I thought the creativity was there. I loved the extendable ears and the Ministry scenes. Rowling has no shortage on making memorable events. Rowling certainly understands teenagers, but Harry's blow-up at Dumbledore is over the top. He should put more faith in the one person who's been there for him since the beginning. Overall, it was good, but not Rowling's best.

I'm not usually one for writing reviews of later books in a series, because it's notoriously difficult to discuss such books without giving away spoilers, or overlapping what's already on the book's dust jacket. Accordingly, I usually prefer to review an entire series, rather than any one book within it. That having been said, I do have one thing to add, regarding this book - I was startled by the author's ambitiousness with this particular installment. I was very surprised, in a book targeted primarily for a younger audience, to see the author dealing with such mature real-world subjects as:

* Attempts by the government to limit/curtail personal freedoms during times of national crisis & war, and to launch things like crackdowns, takeovers of private universities, and inquisitions. Hello 9-11. Hello Kent State University. Hello Tiannamen Square. Hello WWII internment camps for untrustworthy citizens. Hello Russian gulags for political prisoners (ala azkaban). Hello Spanish Inquisition. Etc ad infinitum.
* Attempts by the mass media to create/control "the truth", and otherwise manipulate public perception. Hello state-controlled mass media in north korea, communist china, and "Pravda" of the former USSR. Etc ad infinitum.

Pretty heady subject matter for younger readers.

The author did a good job with this installment, but the page count was a bit much, and the book came across as a bit bloated and rambly at times ... but it's still on par, enjoyability wise, with the rest of the series. A bit overly ambitious, perhaps (for the intended audience), but still a solid offering.

This was the first of the Harry Potter books I have ever read. I am deployed over seas, saw it in the library, liked the movies and knew this one was coming out to the theaters soon so I read it. Great book. I was sorry to see the movie did it little justice and left so much out. Mrs Rowling really does a great job transporting us into her imagination and the story and this was a fantastic read. I certainly recommend it to any potter fans. If you have never seen the movies before or read the books preceeding this one, then I would start at the beginning. It is a good place to start. Since reading this I have burned through Half Blood Prince and am about to finish the Deathly Hallows. I have not been this addicted to a series since the Dragonlance Chronicles and Blood of Kerensky Trilogy and highly recommend it to anybody who enjoys fantasy, fiction, and certainly the Potter saga.

I've had a chance to read all 7 books. Book one reeled me in.. and I have yet to be bored or disappointed. I have always enjoyed fairy tales.. and this series of books is just that. I find Rowling's work to be better suited for the mystical minds of adults rather than small children. I will not allow my kids to see the movies due to them being sooo very dark in nature. Rowling's has quite the imagination for story telling. The audio tapes/cd's are the best. Jim Dale does a wonderful job of bringing all the characters to life, breathing such diversity into each character. It's really hard to turn the tapes/cd's off once I begin to listen to Jim Dale's incredible narrating skills. I think Dale should be given more or better credit for Rowling's work because he takes the books to a whole different level of frenzied excitement. His skill at changing and modifying his voice for each character is truly amazing. Order of the Phoenix (book 5) is a must read. I highly reccommend getting a copy for yourself to keep in your collection for years to come.

I have thoroughly enjoyed each one of the Harry Potter books. With each installment of the series, I have thought they have gotten increasingly better. For me personally, the series REALLY began to take off in the third book. The plot started getting darker and darker (which I like). I thought that Book 5 at some points seemed to have high points and low points. Professor Umbridge's character is SO unlikeable, I almost wanted to put the book down and stop reading. I suppose that is a mark of a truly great author, but at times I felt her character was over the top.

Overall, I really really liked Order of the Phoenix however, I feel the book is simply a prelude to the final books six and seven. You can see the pieces of the puzzle begin to form together towards the end of this book. I can't wait until Books 6 and 7 to find out what finally happens between Harry and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

The fifth instalment in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is not only the most voluminous tome in the series [870 pp] but also one of the best.

The story gets tremendously darker, as Harry and his friends Ron & Hermione find their fifth year at Hogwarts plagued not just by the looming OWL [Ordinary Wizarding Level] exams, but also blatant interference by the Ministry of Magic in the running of the school, in the person of Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minsiter of Magic [spineless Cornelius Fudge], the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and also the ministry appointed Inquisitor.

Then of course, there is the ever looming presence of the evil Lord Voldemort whose moods Harry finds himself troublingly able to channel, to his immense horror. There are plenty of chills and thrills here, and the of course we have the Order of the Phoneix, a select group of aurors who are determined to protect Harry from the Death Eaters & Voldemort. There is also student rebellion, esp in the from of Dumbledore's Army, led by none other than Harry himself. There are so many plot twists in this book, that one cannot help but read on with bated breath, despite the length of the book.

There are new creatures that fascinate and intimidate, such as thestrals, a giant, some old familiars like the centaurs, and also new charms, and spells [Ligimency, Occlumency]...many other fascinating aspects that make for an absorbing read.

Harry finds himself battling his inner demons, trying to lead the DA as best he can, as well as trying to get through adolescence without too much awkwardness, especially with reference to his crush on Cho Chang, the pretty Ravenclaw seeker. Ron finds himself in two new positions that test his discipline & mettle, and Hermione as always tries to be the voice of conscience.

This is an extremely well-plotted narrative, that flows seamlessly from the earlier books, and is thoroughly absorbing, right till the climactic, thrilling end. Of course, for better understanding, its best read after the earlier books in the series. Highly recommended!

JK Rowling has done it again. Though it's the longest book in the series, it flies by as you read it. All the Harry Potter books have a way of captivating the read and pulling them into the wizarding word. Love the books!

My only real gripe with the book was Mr. Potter himself - how many pages can he lose his temper or act like a complete moron????? It became a bit annoying by page 600. Otherwise, another solid, enjoyable, engrossing chapter in the sage of our boy wizard. Can't wait to read Book 6! I know I'm a bit behind, but I've been too busy :)

This book (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) is very interesting. The book itself has a hard cover that seems to be made of cardboard covered in a blue paper. This blue paper has a pattern of diamonds on it positioned vertically. I do not like this aspect because the paper covering the cover seems to be incredibly absorbent. What I mean by this is that it smudges easily. You must make sure that your hands are extremely clean when using this book. They can't be sweaty or oily at all. Then need to be completely dry. Otherwise the cover will get oil smudges on it. I found this rather annoying, as my hands tend to sweat when I am holding something. Because of this, I was forced to read the book using gloves. The spine has what I assume to be kind of a sticky cloth over it. I presume that this cloth is intended to give the spine stability. I see this as an added bonus. This cloth is light gray in color. Along the spine, the book says "ROWLING" at the top, written horizontally. This is the author's last name. Under that it has the words "YEAR 5" enclosed in a box. the number "5" is printed in a significantly larger font than the word "YEAR". Then, written vertically in a larger font still, it has the words "HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX". All of these words are written in a glossy blue ink. If you open the book, you will notice that the inside cover is covered in a dark blue paper. The same is true for the inside of the back cover. Turn the page again, and you will see the familiar diamond pattern from the front, this time in white and gray. On this page, are written the words "HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX" yet again. This time they are written in black. The next page details all of the other books J.K Rowling has written, beginning with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Year One at Hogwarts" up through "Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire: Year Four at Hogwarts". The next page is similar to the preliminary title page, but has a picture of an open door with the number 12 above it. On the door is a snake emblem, and coming out of the door in what looks like a large, black, shaggy dog. There is also a leafless tree standing next to the door. I am not sure of the kind of tree, but I will try to research it. Under this picture are the words "BY J.K. ROWLING" and "ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY GRANDPRE". Everything on this page is printed in black and white. After this is a page detailing information about publication. The rest of the book is basically just writing, all in black and white, and goes on for 870 pages. After this, there is an "about the author" section and an "about the illustrator" section. All of these pages are made of paper (presumably made with wood and adhesive), and have black writing in "Times New Roman" font.

Ordinarily, the book comes with a dust jacket that is much more imaginative than the native cover. This dust jacket has the words "Harry Potter" printed at the top in large blue letters using the signature Harry Potter font. The "P" appears to trail off into a lightning bolt. The "H" and the "P" are approximately 3 1/2 cm tall, while the rest of the letters vary between 2 cm and 3 cm. Under this writing are the words "and the Order of the Phoenix". This is in white writing and is written in such a way as to make the viewer imagine smoke or fog. All of these letters are printed on a black semi-circular field which makes up the ceiling of the cover-picture. The cover picture shows a circular room with many doors, all of which are partially open. There appear to be 21 lit candles floating in random positions throughout the room. Central on in the room, and prominent on the cover is a boy with black, unruly hair. He has his back turned to the viewer, but his head is facing slightly toward the viewer. This is because he is turning it to the left and over his shoulder. He is wearing round glasses, a black cloak, and a scar in the shape of a zig-zag line. He appears to be holding a long stick in his left hand which he has raised. On the back are three other people. One with hair parted in the middle who has one eye that is much larger than the other. There is another man who looks much older and a third boy with hair that seems to be sticking up. On the back, you can also see three more candles, and a shadowy figure at the top. The entire picture on the dust jacket is printed using a combination of blue and black ink. This gives it an extremely blue hue.

I found this book to be of superior quality. Everything seemed to be in perfect order, however I would have liked it if the cover picture had been more similar to that of it's prequels. They had much more color. This would have been nice for continuity purposes. Overall, a very good book, highly recommended.

In the fifth installment in the Harry Potter saga, Harry finds himself bitter and alone on Privet Drive. He has no idea of what is happening in the wizarding world, and hasn't heard from his friends. When they finally come to him, he discovers that the Order of the Phoenix has been reconstituted. Once back at school, he finds Dumbledore distant and unreachable and a new, evil Defense against the Dark Arts teacher.

In this fifth novel, J. K. Rowling enters new areas. Harry is obviously growing up and aware of what his future holds. She seamlessly moves from a child's novel of magic into a more intense, young adult novel with more grown up themes.

This is an excellent novel, one that can't be put down.

The fifth book in the series is not a dissapointment. I highly doubted(before reading Half-Blood Prince) that another HP book would be as good as this one. If you're on the fence about it...well I don't know whats wrong with you, ITS GREAT! Buy Buy Buy!

My son says this is the best of the series...until now. He is reading the 7th book. He also says this book has more magic and excitement than the previous ones and it is a great fantasy book. It is darker than the other books, which might not be suitable for young children. Our advice is to read the books in order.

In the "Order of the Phoenix," Harry is struggling on many levels - not only is he struggling with the fact that Lord Voldemort - *ahem* He-who-must-not-be-named - is back, but everyone is coddling Harry and is keeping him from knowing what is happening in the magical world. To make matters worse, his Muggle relatives are treating him even worse this year - every year, they treat him a little worse. Harry is, as a result, sullen and withdrawn in this book. When I first read this book, in fact, I thought maybe Harry was being controlled in some way because he was just acting like - well, like a teenager! You all have probably already read the book, you know what happens, so I won't go over all the plot and details. What I mainly liked about the book was the increasing details about the plotting to overthrow Voldemort. What bothered me was the sullenness with which Harry was written - based upon past books, it was out of character for him. However, I can certainly understand his frustration in being kept in the dark when he feels it is somehow his fault that Voldemort is now free, whether this is in fact the case or not.

Over all, a solid entry into the series, a good building block in the story and a nice bit of work by Rowling.

The Carol of Harry's Heart

The is the best book so far and every time you think you have JK Rowling figured out, she throws you off into another dimension. I have already read the sixth book, however this one and Chamber of Secrets are my favorites. There are so many rich, convoluted themes running behind one another and beside one another. The despair in Harry's belief that Sirius will return as a ghost brought tears to my eyes. How one woman can carry within herself the feelings so many of us have and write them in such a way so those feelings become almost of a physical nature. As if you could touch them with your hands.

And at 12 midnight tonight, we will all discover what happens to Harry and the friends he cherishes so much. So this is what I think may happen:

In book four, there is a gleam of triumph in Dumbledore's eyes. As awful as this is that Voldermort shares the same blood of Harry which includes the blood of Harry's mother, it makes Voldermort "more human" for Harry to destroy.

In book five, Dumbledore tells Harry it is love which is Harry's greatest power. Dumbledore tells Tom (Voldermort) his greatest weakness is that he does not believe there are things worse than death.

Harry's love will destroy, not kill Voldermort, and Voldermort will become horribly maimed and crippled. Harry will take great pity on him and this act will cause a magic which will transform Voldermort into a green Phoenix. The same color of Harry's eyes.

In book five, two of the broken prophesies state; "At the solstice will come a new . . ."and none will come after." Does this mean a new dawn of good triumphing over evil?

And there is the debt owed to Harry from Peter Pettigrew. Peter will find a horcrux for Harry to destroy or he will help defend Harry.

Longbottom and Lovegood will end up together and that there will be three houses left instead of four.

Snape is the most difficult to predict because you have to remember that it was he who caused the death of the woman he loved. Each time he looks at Harry, he sees the man he loathed and the woman he loved. In a way, he is a tortured soul with no one to turn to.

A splendid, splendid marvel of literature and one that stands up in its own right.