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

Average Rating:

There's no question that the tone of this installment in the series is darker. In his fifth year at Hogwart's, Harry is growing up in many ways, and teen angst has set in. He continually questions and rebels against authority figures (often with good reason, as it turns out), struggles with his friends and peers, and thinks much more about girls (or at least, one particular girl). His school year gets off to a bad start, grows increasingly difficult and ominous, and reaches a climax in which a cherished friend meets a tragic fate in the battle against Voldemort...
Well, let's hope we don't have to wait too long to hear about Harry's sixth year!

Notes to parents - The behavior of many of the major characters in this book is harsher and more mean-spirited than in earlier volumes. We expect it from Snape and Voldemort's minions, but now it seems to come from all quarters. I personally felt that the portrayal of adults as complex characters with many flaws (sometimes tragic) results in a richer mix. At any rate, it should appeal to teenagers. Harry's emotional trials will also be familiar to many teens, but I'm not sure how younger readers will respond. I would think carefully about how appropriate the book is for under-10 children. (Of course, the length will also be a major hurdle for younger readers as well.)

In this 5th installment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Rowling's simple, yet addictive narrative style once again whizzes the reader through another rough and tumble academic year of Harry's life. Though admittedly a grimmer experience than previous Hogwarts terms, the action will never-the-less leave you jubilantly breathless on the finish line, brain delirious with wizarding detail and anxious for more.

J.K. continues to flesh out the expansive magical universe introduced and developed in her 4 previous works and tantalizes the reader with an array of creative concoctions every bit as sinister and complex as the potions brewed in Professor Snape's laboratory. The leading magi still manage to conjure believable turns of confused teenage reality while continuing to lead wholly fantastic lives. Meanwhile, the supporting cast of witches and warlocks (old and new) along with a ceaselessly imaginative variety of locales provide the ongoing saga with a host of wonderful subplots saturated in supernatural charisma.

The story line moves right along, and if Hagrid seems a mite underdeveloped and Harry waxes a few pages too verbose with his mid-pubescent sulkiness I'm happy to forgive all with the hope that Book six will tie up those loose ends and present the faithful reader with a fresh Harry, a Harry greatly matured from another summer of lonesome cogitation, a Harry ready to meet the challenges that await him in his sixth year at Hogwarts and, eventually, a Harry well positioned to do you-know-what to you-know-who in Book 7.