Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter (#5)
Rating: ★★★★★

Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His best friends Ron and Hermione have been very secretive all summer and he is desperate to get back to school and find out what has been going on. However, what Harry discovers is far more devastating than he could ever have expected…

Suspense, secrets and thrilling action from the pen of J.K. Rowling ensure an electrifying adventure that is impossible to put down.

Book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The longest book – by more than a hundred pages – in the series, many have complained that this is one of their least favorites. And I admit, it was my 2nd least favorite for a very long time. When I finally re-read it a few years ago, I revised my opinion. It’s now one of my top favorites.

When I first read it, as a young-adult, I was really annoyed with Harry’s actions and attitude. I got frustrated with his frustrations and anger. It’s funny that it took me getting older to actually become more understanding of this. I’m not sure if I was too close to that defiance and attitude from my own teenage years, and too disgusted with how I treated people during it, or what, but I’ve come to be incredibly sympathetic and understanding. Harry is actually quite reserved and thoughtful in this book, considering the circumstances. And he actually has excellent reasons for feeling the way he does.

That’s not to say that I’m not frustrated ever during this book, I definitely still get frustrated. It’s just for different reasons now. Mostly, the same reasons as Harry. A lot is being held back from Harry in this book, and I really think he deserves to know more. More knowledge – as Dumbledore, especially, should know – is never a bad thing. And perhaps if he’d known a bit more, there wouldn’t have been quite the devastation to follow.

I know everyone loves Molly Weasley…I’m not one of them, at least not in this book. I love that she loves Harry, and she considers him “as good as” one of her sons, but she, like Ron, got on my nerves in this book. It’s not her place to decide what’s right for Harry. She did something similar in Prisoner of Azkaban and her brand of “protection” actually leaves Harry open to more danger. I wish she’d realize that, and stop trying to help.

And, I know you’re supposed to but, I HATE Umbridge. I can’t even express the amount of hate that I have for this woman. She’s a very good cautionary tale about what happens when zealotry has power. Something that’s even more scary to me right now, what with the insanity going on within the democratic system in the US at the moment.

So many things to love though!

1. Tonks – I’d almost like to be a metamorphagus
2. 12 Grimmauld Place – I love the play on words that JKR uses
3. Ginny (in general) – considering how much I disliked her in Chamber of Secrets, this is a huge thing
4. Extendable Ears – I love Fred and George
5. Doxies
6. Department of Mysteries
7. Dumbledore’s testimony
8. Luna Lovegood
9. Quibbler
10. Sorting Hat’s Song
11. O.W.Ls – Ordinary Wizarding Levels
12. I must not tell lies. – GRRRRRRRR
13. Angelina Quidditch Captain
14. Boys trying to get in Girls dormitory – LOL! I love the slide
15. Snape vs Umbridge
16. Dumbledore’s Army
17. “Weasley is our king!”
18. Ginny – again
19. St. Mungo’s
20. Droobles Best Blowing Gum wrapper
21. McGonagall vs Umbridge
22. “Give her hell from us, Peeves.”
23. Fred & George vs Umbridge
24. All teachers vs Umbridge

I also really love Dumbledore. I know that, in this book in particular, he’s not everyone’s favorite – and I question him myself sometimes – but by the end I adore him more than ever.

I can’t say that I love  the end, but it’s amazingly well done – it brings out a boatload of emotions in me, and I think that’s probably why it was one of my least favorites – the emotions hit a bit too close to home when I read it originally, and then I have always associated this book with that time in my life. It’s natural, but now that the pain’s lessened a bit, I can look back on it and feel the missing naturally. And… well …  I do love it for that, I guess. It’s so real and true. The emotions are honest and real.

This book has gradually become one of my favorites in the entire series – and it’s so much better than the movie. Honestly, if you think they can fit 870 pages into a single movie, then I don’t even know what to say. There’s so much that’s truncated or missing entirely. Things that are moved to the next movie, or never even mentioned. And as I read this time I was struck, again, but how vivid and deep this world is, and how much I love being in it.