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Audio CD Description As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches, 15-year-old Harry Potter is in full-blown adolescence, complete with regular outbursts of rage, a nearly debilitating crush, and the blooming of a powerful sense of rebellion. It's been yet another infuriating and boring summer with the despicable Dursleys, this time with minimal contact from our hero's non-Muggle friends from school. Harry is feeling especially edgy at the lack of news from the magic world, wondering when the freshly revived evil Lord Voldemort will strike. Returning to Hogwarts will be a relief... or will it? The fifth book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series follows the darkest year yet for our young wizard, who finds himself knocked down a peg or three after the events of last year. Somehow, over the summer, gossip (usually traced back to the magic world's newspaper, the Daily Prophet) has turned Harry's tragic and heroic encounter with Voldemort at the Triwizard Tournament into an excuse to ridicule and discount the teen. Even Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of the school, has come under scrutiny by the Ministry of Magic, which refuses to officially acknowledge the terrifying truth that Voldemort is back. Enter a particularly loathsome new character: the toadlike and simpering ("hem, hem") Dolores Umbridge, senior undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, who takes over the vacant position of Defense Against Dark Arts teacher--and in no time manages to become the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, as well. Life isn't getting any easier for Harry Potter. With an overwhelming course load as the fifth years prepare for their Ordinary Wizarding Levels examinations (O.W.Ls), devastating changes in the Gryffindor Quidditch team lineup, vivid dreams about long hallways and closed doors, and increasing pain in his lightning-shaped scar, Harry's resilience is sorely tested. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, more than any of the four previous novels in the series, is a coming-of-age story. Harry faces the thorny transition into adulthood, when adult heroes are revealed to be fallible, and matters that seemed black-and-white suddenly come out in shades of gray. Gone is the wide-eyed innocent, the whiz kid of Sorcerer's Stone. Here we have an adolescent who's sometimes sullen, often confused (especially about girls), and always self-questioning. Confronting death again, as well as a startling prophecy, Harry ends his year at Hogwarts exhausted and pensive. Readers, on the other hand, will be energized as they enter yet again the long waiting period for the next title in the marvelous, magical series. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Customer Reviews Not the best Potter, but still better than anything else I'll agree: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is not the best novel in the Harry Potter series. However, it is still one of the best out there and far superior to any other book besides Potter. It is just that volumes 1, 2, and 3 of the Harry Potter series are so phenomenal that when we compare book 5 to the other, it pales just a little. I have a couple of problems with the book, but the rest of it is simply amazing. First of all, the most obvious, is the length of Order of the Phoenix: 870 pages. I felt that it was a little lengthy, and that some parts of the book could be cut so that there wouldn't be a little slow section in the middle. But the way some other reviewers talk, you would think it was way too long. Some people complain that it's too long for children, and even some adults, to endure. Believe me, I was twelve when I got the book (most people consider that to be still a kid), and I finished it within four days. It would have been shorter, but it was the end of June, and I still had a few more final exams to study for. Anyway, I will now officialy start my review. First the positives: there was a well-written, intricate, mystery that Rowling ingeniously put into book 5. It was a great improvement over the plot of book 4. Secondly, the character development was superb. You really feel the pain, anger, and suffering that some characters. For all those people who think that Harry is too moody in this book, what book were you reading?! Sure, he was a little moody, but it didn't affect the overall story. It had to happen. And for those who think that this book is to dark, what did you expect? The most evil wizard evil alive, who slaughtered countless innocents including Harry's parents, has returned and is now seeking revenge. Harry's peers and other wizards think that he is going insane because of the lack of proof he has to validate his story. Yeah, it's going to be dark. But, again, it isn't even that bad. Now, for the negatives: it was a little too long, and the editing was a little bad. Also, the ending was a little too "Jerry Bruckheimer-ish", or too much action and too little story. Third, I want to see more of Voldemort, a little more intensity, anger, and much more power. He's supposed to be the most evil wizard of all time. Will you please show us? I have hopes that the next book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, will be the best of the series to date. At least its shorter, with only 672 pages. To summarize my review, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix falls short of other Potter books, but it is the best book besides Potter, and one of the best books ever written. Well, that's my two cents. Fantastic Well, the first time I read this book was very dissapointed, but I read it again and now I enjoy it. The part I disliked most at first was (SPOILER ALERT!) when Sirius died...but I got over it when I reread the book. Harry is a much more mature character in this book, and I hope book six is similar to it! Gets better after second reading This book was much better after a second reading. While Hogwarts has always contained some dangers to Harry, this is the first time that Hogwarts really comes across as a place that Harry would want to leave. I realized it was a testament to Rowling's writing that she could make Hogwarts a place that no student would wish to be, since it was always such a great setting despite the dangers of the prior books. The helpless frustration that Harry and the others feel in dealing with the Ministry's interference with the school and their willful blindness in refusing to accept the return of Voldemort was very genuine and easy to relate to. The sequences at No. 12 Grimmauld Place are all excellent, and include some very powerful scenes, including one involving Mrs. Weasley and a boggart. The selection of Prefects and Harry's reaction evoked emotions that were absolutely human, and Harry's confused first attempts at dating are accurate for just about everyone who can remember him or herself at that age. Some people have complained that Harry is not as likeable in this book as in others. I think that's a good thing. He's a great but flawed kid who has had to shoulder way more than anyone should be expected to. He's done great things but in a lot of ways he is immature and inexperienced about the wider world. That is not his fault, it is just part of his growing up. I didn't really appreciate this at first, but liked it much better as I thought about it because at any age people generally think they are smarter than they really are. Harry exhibits that in spades by doubting Dumbledore and trying to pull of a rescue on his own at the end. I think Rowling actually did a great job of bringing a new dimension to Harry to show that he is capable of jealously, self-righteousness and pride, not all of which are great attributes. The ending did not have any real great revelation, and I think that is what some people missed. People get used to having a twist that comes out of nowhere in these books, and Order of the Phoenix does not really do this. I did not mind this as much on a second reading and was more drawn to the emotions of the characters this time around, which really was well written. Favorite parts - All scenes at Grimmauld Place, the scenes at St. Mungo's, the meetings of "Dumbledore's Army", Valentine's Day, the Duel and especially the Weasley Twins' decision and actions about staying in Hogwarts. Least Favorite parts - Most of the scenes with "Grawp", although I hope this comes into play in the next books. Give it a second try if you didn't like it so much the first, you'll realize it is really a great book.