sstaley
Written on Dec 28, 2019
There is a door at the end of a silent corridor. And it’s haunting Harry Pottter’s dreams. Why else would he be waking in the middle of the night, screaming in terror?
Harry has a lot on his mind for this, his fifth year at Hogwarts: a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey; a big surprise on the Gryffindor Quidditch team; and the looming terror of the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. But all these things pale next to the growing threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named---a threat that neither the magical government nor the authorities at Hogwarts can stop.
As the grasp of darkness tightens, Harry must discover the true depth and strength of his friends, the importance of boundless loyalty, and the shocking price of unbearable sacrifice.
His fate depends on them alll.
(back cover)
- ISBN10 0439358078
- ISBN13 9780439358071
- Publish Date 1 September 2004 (first published January 2003)
- Publish Status Unknown
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Scholastic US
- Format Paperback
- Pages 896
- Language English
Reviews
moraa
Written on Dec 23, 2019
Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.
4.5 stars.
12/23/19: I cannot say that I didn't enjoy this even if it caused me so much pain. The character development was superb, however, and the world building even more so.
I'm dreading the next one because I know I will be reduced to a sobbing mess.
Buy me cauldron cakes please.
remo
Written on Sep 28, 2019
sokodomo
Written on Jul 22, 2019
ross91
Written on Mar 16, 2018
Djilan
Written on Mar 2, 2018
On to the next!
Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews
Written on Oct 18, 2017
I have a whole new appreciation for this book and another reason to loath Dolores Umbridge -- Dolores Umbridge is Sarah Palin! The similarities are glaringly obvious. I shall start at the beginning with her being McCain/Fudge's right-hand man {or women}. Both where not well known outside of their community before being promoted to a much higher position with each quickly becoming accustom to their new height of power and in turn becoming a "maverick" duo. Next, is the consist need for reform, Umbridge with what seemed like a never-ending stream of decrees and Palin's reform all across the board. Thirdly, is their uncanny likeness in appearance, each having a simpering smile and Sarah Palin wore a very similar suit in her Katie Couric interview that Dolores Umbridge dawns in the film. Again, there is the issue of banning books, Sarah Palin reportedly tried to ban numerous books from the Wasilla library and ironically Harry Potter was on the list; where as Dolores Umbridge banned the more advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks downgrading to a "safer" form of learning. Lastly is that horrible little "hem hem" quoted throughout the Order of the Phoenix signaling who ever is speaking at the present time should quit as she has far more interesting and important things to say, this relates to Sarah Palin as a myriad of people have been quoted as say that she expected to give a speech after losing the presidential election. There are so many comparisons, how could I not have noticed before?
Berls
Written on Aug 13, 2017
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Jul 7, 2017
Considering the fact that OotP introduces Luna Lovegood, who is one of my favorite characters in the series, you’d think that this would get a star. Considering how perfectly unlikable Umbridge is, and how well-written she is, you’d think this would get a star. Fact of the matter is, most of the characters in this book are really good… but Harry. Harry Potter is the most frustrating, angry, selfish kid. I get that he’s gone through a lot, and I have to give so many props to Ron and Hermione for putting up with him. I dislike Harry so much in this book that it took it down a star for me.
The world of Harry Potter continues to enchant. In as far as setting goes, OotP is one of my favorites, because we get to explore a new corner of the world in the Ministry of Magic. I love the Department of Mysteries and I feel like there are so many possibilities and stories within the objects the friends come across. You also really get the feeling that they’ve only begun to brush the surface. If there was a series that followed a Department of Mysteries employee, I would absolutely read it.
A bit of a mini-rant here – most of the Department of Mysteries was cut from the film version of this book and while I generally like the movie quite a lot, I think the loss of that magic does the story a disservice.
The breakdown of the wizarding government and Hogwarts staff is essential to transition the wizarding world into this new, darker shade. For what it is, it’s done very well, developing characters and showing the true colors of people. Rowling has a theme to her plots where the ultimate endgame in all of them is “stop Voldemort” (excepting Prisoner of Azkaban) and even though it’s been used, we look forward to it. Of particular interest this time is that Harry doesn’t go in alone and play the hero. SPOILERS! I really, really love that Neville is the last man standing with Harry in the showdown in the Department of Mysteries. Despite all odds, we finally get to see what this character is made of, and we see a sampling of what ultimately becomes book seven.
As much as CAPSLOCK!Harry bothers me, he actually makes perfect sense and the stylistic choices in this book were good ones to suit the characters. As a narrator, Jim Dale also continues to do an excellent job. I have a bit of a pet peeve with his female voices (I mentioned this in the SS/PS review with Hermione), and I’m not crazy about Luna’s and Bellatrix’s, but I have a suspicion that I will get used to them. I sympathize – there’s only so many female voices a male reader can do, and I can always tell who is talking… he doesn’t use them twice.
Actually, I’m going to give extra props to Jim Dale on his reading, because I am simultaneously listening to The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, which he also narrates. Between the two different books the voices still all feel different. He masterfully uses tone and accent to differentiate between people. Ten points to Gryffindor!
This books is a series of extremes for me. I really don’t like Harry. I really love Fred and George. I really find it frustrating that Harry forgot about that incredibly useful mirror the entire story that could have fixed everything but he doesn’t even realize that. I love that Umbridge is a pink-cardigan, kitty cat plate villain everyone loves to hate. The two merge together to make a pretty good book, but it comes up short compared to the rest of the series.
Fred and George’s war against Umbridge is one of my favorite parts of the entire series, so it gets props for that as well.
Jo
Written on Aug 1, 2016
Re-reading Order of the Phoenix is always causes such mixed feelings in me. I love the book, my mixed feelings aren't there, but I do despise Umbridge with such a passion, I spend a lot of the time feeling angry. And yet, I absolutely love everything that happens at the Ministry, and discovering the prophecy.
I actually really enjoy how angry Harry is in this book. He's left in the dark for so long at the very beginning; he has no idea what Voldemort is up to, if he's safe, and he gets nothing from Ron and Hermione. But also, he's been through so much in his life so far, and not that long ago he saw Cedric die right in front of him, and saw Voldemort come back; that's a hell of a lot to deal with. It makes sense to me that dealing with it all would affect him in some way, and it's resulted in a lot of anger.
The anger comes in useful, of course, when it comes to standing up to Umbridge. Oh my god, that woman is foul. I have this very strong image of her in my head, and it just makes my skin crawl. The pleasure she gains from torturing children is sickening, and I just can't deal with her. She's almost on par with Voldemort to me. I'm really not a big fan of Snape at all for the first six books of the series (even knowing what's revealed in Deathly Hallows), but I prefer him to Umbridge. Umbridge makes my blood boil.
But ooh, all that happens at the ministry! One of the main reasons I signed up to Pottermore when it first started was to find out more about the Department of Mysteries! Though I never found out. I am so intrigued by what is being studied down there! I so want to know more, though I did work out what subjects are being studied this time round; time, thought, death, and as Dumbledore revealed, love. But I want to know more about those studies specifically! Why are their brains in a vat of green liquid? What exactly is behind the veil, and what would happen if you went through it? Could you get back? What's with the bell jar that goes back and forward in time? And what exactly is kept in the locked room of love? I so desperately want to know! I doubt I'll ever get my answers, though.
And the prophecy. I remember the "Woah!" I felt the first time I read Order of the Phoenix and discovering that either Harry or Voldemort would do the other in. Previously, I thought Voldemort kept going after Harry because he survived and brought about his downfall when Voldemort tried to kill him as a baby, but to discover that it was also because of the prophecy... and that Harry learns he will have to face Voldemort in a duel at some point, that was shocking. This time, I paid much more attention to how Harry reacted. He's only 15 at this point. I think his age never really hit me when I was reading the books the first time round, because I was a similar age, and it never really mattered to me during my other re-reads, but I've been very much aware of how young Harry is. And to discover at 15 that you have to try and kill the most dangerous dark wizard of all time... that's so much to take in. The thing is, we all know when we read these books the first time round that the two would come face to face in a big show down at some point, because that's what the series is leading to, but forget Harry is a fictional character for a second: he's a boy who's just discovered that he has to kill or be killed by Voldemort, who has never really given him a moment's peace since he discovered the wizarding world. There's suddenly no doubt about it for him; he will face Voldemort; he will kill or be killed. (Or at least it seems at this point; Dumbledore shines some more light on the prophecy in the next book.) That's bloody huge. And my heart just went out to Harry, because who could see past such an event? That's all there is to his future at this point, that's all he can see.
God, I am absolutely loving this re-read of the series! I really am getting so much more out of these books than I have before!