#88 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
Spoilers for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 
At the end of Harry Potter’s fourth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry witnessed the dark wizard Lord Voldermort return to full power. While Harry is staying with the Dursely’s for the summer, he can’t help but be frustrated at the lack of action against Voldemort. There is no news about the Dark Lord’s return in the Dailey Prophet, and his friends refuse to share any information by owl. Harry feels completely isolated from the wizard world until he is attacked by dementors. Harry is taken under the protection by the secretive Order of the Phoenix, a society, led by Dumbledore, dedicated to combating Voldemort and his Death Eaters. But not even the Order can completely protect Harry when he returns to Hogwarts. Here he must face unusual enemies: nightmares, hormones, and the Ministry of Magic itself.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix appears to be the dark horse of the Harry Potter Series. Many fans would list it as their least favorite book of the series and some, to quote my fiancé have gone even as far as to “wipe it from (their) memory.” I find that I must disagree. Although Order of the Phoenix is admittedly a step down from Goblet of Fire and Prisoner of Azkaban, and is somewhat overlong at 870 pages, it’s still a very good installment to the Harry Potter Saga that shows our characters going through a tremendous amount of growth.
If there’s one thing Order of the Phoenix shows, is that we’re no longer in the world of traditional children’s literature. This volume is far darker, and shows Harry learning some very adult lessons. Harry learns that the wizard government, although mostly a benevolent force, can often get caught up in politics and fear, and completely miss the dangers that are staring right at them. Harry also discovers that his father, whom he has always put on a pedestal, was not as perfect as Harry wanted to believe. And of course the big lesson occurs at the end, where Harry loses someone very close to him and has to learn an important lesson about loss, and the consequences of his actions. Harry is not the only character who has to grow up this volume. We see significant development from Neville, Ginny, the Weasley twins, and Ron, who are all growing into very interesting characters
There are a few sections of Order of the Phoenix that I particularly enjoy. I enjoy the sections that take place outside of Hogwarts, where we get to discover the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, The Ministry of Magic, and a hospital for injured wizards. I also liked the section where Harry and co. must take their OWLS (wizard exams). I found Professor Umbridge to be a very different kind of villain, and although she certainly wasn’t likable, she was the biggest challenge that we’ve seen Hogwarts come up against so far, which made her fascinating to read about. My favorite section would have to be when Harry forms Dumbledore’s Army, for I feel this is where he truly gets to shine.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a strong volume in the Harry Potter Series with a lot of important character development. One thing I found the most amusing was how I once managed to read this 870-page monster in a single day, when this time around it took me a full week.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 870 pages
Source: shelf
Other books I've read by this author: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone ( my review), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ( my review), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ( my review), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ( my review), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch through the Ages, The Tales of Beedle the Bard ( my review)
xposted to bookish and temporaryworlds
At the end of Harry Potter’s fourth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry witnessed the dark wizard Lord Voldermort return to full power. While Harry is staying with the Dursely’s for the summer, he can’t help but be frustrated at the lack of action against Voldemort. There is no news about the Dark Lord’s return in the Dailey Prophet, and his friends refuse to share any information by owl. Harry feels completely isolated from the wizard world until he is attacked by dementors. Harry is taken under the protection by the secretive Order of the Phoenix, a society, led by Dumbledore, dedicated to combating Voldemort and his Death Eaters. But not even the Order can completely protect Harry when he returns to Hogwarts. Here he must face unusual enemies: nightmares, hormones, and the Ministry of Magic itself.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix appears to be the dark horse of the Harry Potter Series. Many fans would list it as their least favorite book of the series and some, to quote my fiancé have gone even as far as to “wipe it from (their) memory.” I find that I must disagree. Although Order of the Phoenix is admittedly a step down from Goblet of Fire and Prisoner of Azkaban, and is somewhat overlong at 870 pages, it’s still a very good installment to the Harry Potter Saga that shows our characters going through a tremendous amount of growth.
If there’s one thing Order of the Phoenix shows, is that we’re no longer in the world of traditional children’s literature. This volume is far darker, and shows Harry learning some very adult lessons. Harry learns that the wizard government, although mostly a benevolent force, can often get caught up in politics and fear, and completely miss the dangers that are staring right at them. Harry also discovers that his father, whom he has always put on a pedestal, was not as perfect as Harry wanted to believe. And of course the big lesson occurs at the end, where Harry loses someone very close to him and has to learn an important lesson about loss, and the consequences of his actions. Harry is not the only character who has to grow up this volume. We see significant development from Neville, Ginny, the Weasley twins, and Ron, who are all growing into very interesting characters
There are a few sections of Order of the Phoenix that I particularly enjoy. I enjoy the sections that take place outside of Hogwarts, where we get to discover the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, The Ministry of Magic, and a hospital for injured wizards. I also liked the section where Harry and co. must take their OWLS (wizard exams). I found Professor Umbridge to be a very different kind of villain, and although she certainly wasn’t likable, she was the biggest challenge that we’ve seen Hogwarts come up against so far, which made her fascinating to read about. My favorite section would have to be when Harry forms Dumbledore’s Army, for I feel this is where he truly gets to shine.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a strong volume in the Harry Potter Series with a lot of important character development. One thing I found the most amusing was how I once managed to read this 870-page monster in a single day, when this time around it took me a full week.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 870 pages
Source: shelf
Other books I've read by this author: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone ( my review), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ( my review), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ( my review), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ( my review), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch through the Ages, The Tales of Beedle the Bard ( my review)
xposted to bookish and temporaryworlds