Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is as astonishing piece of work. At a sprawling 870 pages in the US and 766 in the UK, the book is truly epic in its scope of characters, places and events, as the magical world in which we have grown so comfortable in during the last 4 books is brutally shaken up.
Some fans have been disappointed with OotP, and it's not too difficult to work out why. It's written in a noticeably different style to the previous books, and Harry is a much less likeable character this time around. All the terrible things that have happened to him (as well as his madly swirling hormones) cause him to be an angry and turmoiled character throughout the book, adding a wonderful touch of realism amongst the breathtaking fantasy.
Personally, I loved this book's epic qualities, and was drawn in by the terrible struggles that Harry faced. I went into the book expecting it to be all about Voldemort, but was pleasantly surprised to find Voldemort relegated to the sidelines, rarely the main focus of the book, but never forgotten, always hovering menacingly out of sight. The true conflicts of this book take place at Hogwarts, where the Ministry of Magic begins to take control of the school, believing that Dumbledore is no longer capable to run it. Harry, and a group of fellow Dumbledore- believers, form a rebellious group called Dumbledore's Army, and it's wonderful to join Harry and his friends in their fight.
The new characters in this book are delightful and typically inspired, particularly Luna Lovegood, a very weird, dreamy and fascinating 4th year at Hogwarts, and Professor Umbridge, the detestable and sadistic Ministry liaison at Hogwarts, who turns out to be a huge threat to Harry. The much-hyped death is absolutely shocking, and very painful for the reader as well as Harry, while the battle surrounding it is heart-racingly spectacular. In particular, Dumbledore's encounter with the Dark Lord is simply stunning and nail-bitingly tense.
Overall, OotP is a magnificent book; funny, scary, woven with deep, delicious mystery and packed with memorable moments and excellent events - a worthy addition to the supremely high standards set by the previous 4 books. |
User reviews
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| Sophia |
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| 2006.05.29 |
I really like your review! unlike some reviews i have read, it has an un bi...
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| Boob fob |
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| 2006.04.13 |
I think that the fhith book was the the 2nd best book in the seires. Even t...
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| Christina |
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| 2006.03.04 |
OOTP is definitely the best book but it is sad...i cried a lot and i bawled...
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| Black Prince |
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| 2006.02.25 |
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is great. The DA was a great idea...
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| Ebert |
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| 2005.11.03 |
Charming, fascinating, and brilliant! Nice sense of vocabulary, reasonable ...
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| Suze |
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| 2005.09.07 |
I thought OotP was great. I loved that Harry was finally getting his anger ...
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| kiki |
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| 2005.07.10 |
whoa! this is a much better review then that other alyia girls. i totally a...
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| Jenna |
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| 2005.07.08 |
Very nice review! You gave good highlights, while at the same time not givi...
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| Tia |
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| 2005.06.30 |
I totally agree, OotP is a Brilliant book! You high lighted everything good...
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| mrs. remus lupin |
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| 2005.06.23 |
What I really hated about OotP was that Umbridge never fully got justice. Y...
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| Anna |
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| 2005.06.21 |
I really enjoyed reading your review. It sounded very well thought through ...
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| summer |
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| 2005.06.21 |
i love ootp! the frst time iread it, i hadnt read a hp book in a few years....
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| Heather |
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| 2005.04.24 |
I agree with your review 100%. Most of my HP friends hated OotP but I love...
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| Little Dobby |
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| 2005.04.08 |
OK, the first time I read OOTP, I didn't think it was as good as the others...
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| Fardo |
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| 2005.03.03 |
Well done, you did a good job reviewing the book without putting your theor...
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| Breanna |
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| 2005.02.18 |
I loved the OOTP, there was some parts i hated reading, but it was my 2nd f...
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| Chris |
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| 2005.02.07 |
OotP is the best in the series. It is epic in scope and has some great char...
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| Jason |
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| 2005.01.27 |
OOTP is possibly one of the best in the series. There is clearly a lot mor...
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| Kelsey |
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| 2005.01.22 |
I Loved OoTP, it is my favorite book of them all, JKR did and excellent cre...
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| Kelsey |
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| 2005.01.22 |
I Loved OoTP, it is my favorite book of them all, JKR did and excellent cre...
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| liz tabbernor |
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| 2004.12.03 |
OOTP was the BEST book out of all 6, and JKR has outdone herself again! Um...
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