Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)

• 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.

• First off, let me say that I am nearly 30 years old, an avid reader, and I love Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling has a wonderful style that makes it easy to emmerse yourself in the world of witchcraft and wizardry. So often when I read fantasy books such as these, it becomes difficult to identify with the characters and the world the author presents. Thankfully, Ms. Rowling does not fall into that trap, and I think its because the series is not a fantasy story, its a coming of age story that happens to be set in a fantasy world. They become longer, more complex, even darker, as the readers who began reading the books at a young age will be able to keep reading and identify with Harry as he grows to adulthood.

• I brought this book home from the bookstore on a Friday evening and had finished it by Sunday morning. I literally could not put it down! I also - literally - had tears running down my cheeks as I read the last pages. I am a 38 year old computer programmer who is not normally given to emotional outbursts like this, and I also don't normally read fiction. However, I just happened to pick up the book in the bookstore and begin flipping through the pages out of curiosity. 30 minutes later, I couldn't put it down, so I had to buy it and bring it home. The book really grabs your interest and holds it!
  
  However, the books are EXTREMELY well written. If you want to become a novelist, you should study these books just for the writing techniques they use.
  

• I like the Harry Potter books and have read all 5 so far. This is my least favorite. It is too long and doesn't really have the oomph that the other books had. I imagine Rowling would not let her editor trim the book down and thus it suffers.
  The quality of the writing itself could use some improvement, too. Phrases are used too often. For example, everyone "turns on his/her heel" and Harry sees Cho and and his stomach "feels like he skipped a step going down stairs" more than once.