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[katara]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter) by J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré
(Illustrator)

Genre:
Fantasy, Middle School, Witches and Wizards, Adventure, Kindle Unlimited, Young Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction, Book Series, Magic, Wolves, Werewolves, British Literature, Contemporary, Dark, Harry Potter Universe

Publication Date:
June 21, 2003

Page Numbers:
912

Read/Finished Date:
April 15th, 2025 - April 17th, 2025

Rating:
5/5

Premise:

Harry Potter is about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unlike most schoolboys, Harry never enjoys his summer holidays, but this summer is even worse than usual. The Dursleys, of course, are making his life a misery, but even his best friends, Ron and Hermione, seem to be neglecting him.

Harry has had enough. He is beginning to think he must do something, anything, to change his situation, when the summer holidays come to an end in a very dramatic fashion. What Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down...

Review:

This is the fifth book in the Harry Potter series and is set shortly after the events of the fourth book. The Wizarding World is in denial about Voldemort's return to power. Instead of addressing the threat he poses to the Wizarding World, the Ministry of Magic appoints Dolores Umbridge as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

While Umbridge exerts her authority over the school of magic, Harry, along with Hermione and Ron, recognizes the danger Voldemort's return brings and forms a secret group called "Dumbledore's Army" to learn and practice defensive spells.

In Order of the Phoenix, you see a large jump in Harry's character growth. He has taken charge and started a secret group with the hopes of teaching those who are willing to learn to protect themselves from the danger Voldemort and his Death Eaters pose, not only to the Wizarding World but also to the school.

I am not going to lie; this book is thick and I mean it is one of three thick books in the series. The first time I read this book, it took me a full night to get through it. Unfortunately, I don't have that leisure anymore.

This book gets dark and we learn of the prophecy told by Sybill Trelawney. While the prophecy does speak of a child born at the end of July who will defeat Voldemort, it does not specify that child is Harry. Also, we see one of the beloved characters, Sirius, die in this one. His character growth never really happens in this novel and who can blame him? He is immature, but wouldn't you be if you spent your entire life in Azkaban? I wish Rowling had given him a chance to grow, to know his godson more, and to be able to fully return House of Black to what it should have been without the blood purity to it.

But I also see the reason why she had to kill him off. Harry needed the push for his character to move forward and become what Sirius wanted from him - a great wizard.

Similar Books:

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
Percy Jackson Universe by Rick Riordan