Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

ethan_q - This book is about Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts. In this book, he runs into more challenges, and one of the main ones is his OWL exams for his 5th year. The story begins during the summer, when he was living at the Dursley's house, his aunt's family's house. Harry and his cousin, Dudley were attacked by Demontors when they were walking home, and Harry performed the Patronus charm to get them away, he succeeds. However, when the Ministry of Magic learns about this, letters were sent to the Dursleys' house, and one of them was that Harry had been expelled. But fortunately, after a hearing at his trial from the Ministry of Magic Harry was cleared of all charges and wan't expelled. After the summer Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 5th year. They have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, her name is Dolores Umbridge. Umbridge becomes an unpopular teacher at Hogwarts very quickly. She didn't let the students perform any magic in class, she gave detentions to Harry after he told the truth, and because she is the high inquisitor, she inspected teachers and their classes and teachers didn't like it. Because of her not allowing any magic to be performed in class, Harry and some of his friends start a secret Defense Against the Dark Arts group, where they practice magic and how to defend themselves. I think this is a good book, and I would suggest this book to people who are looking for a god book to read, especially if you've read the first 4 books.

Starred review from June 30, 2003
Year five at Hogwarts is no fun for Harry. Rowling may be relying upon readers to have solidified their liking for her hero in the first four books, because the 15-year-old Harry Potter they meet here is quite dour after a summer at the Dursleys' house on Privet Drive, with no word from pals Hermione or Ron. When he reunites with them at last, he learns that The Daily Prophet
has launched a smear campaign to discredit Harry's and Dumbledore's report of Voldemort's reappearance at the end of book four, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Aside from an early skirmish with a pair of dementors, in which Harry finds himself in the position of defending not only himself but his dreaded cousin, Dudley, there is little action until the end of these nearly 900 pages. A hateful woman from the Ministry of Magic, Dolores Umbridge (who, along with minister Cornelius Fudge nearly succeeds in expelling Harry from Hogwarts before the start of the school year), overtakes Hogwarts—GrandPré's toadlike portrait of her is priceless—and makes life even more miserable for him. She bans him from the Quidditch team (resulting in minimal action on the pitch) and keeps a tight watch on him. And Harry's romance with his crush from the last book, Cho Chang, turns out to be a major waterworks (she cries when she's happy, she cries shen she's sad). Readers get to discover the purpose behind the Order of the Phoenix and more is revealed of the connection between Harry and You-Know-Who. But the showdown between Harry and Voldemort feels curiously anticlimactic after the stunning clash at the close of book four. Rowling favors psychological development over plot development here, skillfully exploring the effects of Harry's fall from popularity and the often isolating feelings of adolescence. Harry suffers a loss and learns some unpleasant truths about his father, which result in his compassion for some unlikely characters. (The author also draws some insightful parallels between the Ministry's exercise of power and the current political climate.) As hope blooms at story's end, those who have followed Harry thus far will be every bit as eager to discover what happens to him in his sixth and seventh years. Ages 9-12.

Starred review from July 14, 2003
Dale again takes the reins as nimble voice master and gallops away with a splendid performance of Rowling's fifth tome about the beloved boy wizard. Full credit is due Dale for creating—and keeping track of—an enormous cast (134, to be precise) of distinct voices; he achieves impressive continuity of character from one novel to the next. But perhaps most notable here is Dale's development of protagonist Harry's evolution from wide-eyed, affable boy to an often angry and disillusioned teenager. Obviously at home in Rowling's world, Dale effortlessly follows the story into darker and more complex waters. Plot turns include further intrigue amongst the wizard hierarchy, the arrival of a new, suspect Defense of the Dark Arts professor, and the main characters' navigation through increasing social and academic pressures. Though Harry, Ron and Hermione are gradually sounding a bit older, and inevitably wiser, Dale keeps their cores intact, so as not to lose listeners along the way. Ages 9-up. Simultaneous release with the Scholastic/Levine hardcover.