Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth book of the Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling. Fifteen year old Harry learns that no one is perfect (not even Dumbledore), and no one is 100% good or evil. This book hits on big themes like social injustice, power, corruption, and propaganda.

 

Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Author: J.K. Rowling

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy (magic)

Publisher: Raincoast Books

Date published: June 2003

Page Count: 768

“Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down…” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/532837.Harry_Potter_and_the_Order_of_the_Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is all about character development. Rowling uses lots of detail and lucious writing with fantastic dialogue that helps create a distinct voice for each character.

Is it normal for fifteen year old boys to be as selfish and immature as Harry and Ron? I found them to be extremely annoying in this book. Thankfully, Hermione is mature, smart, concerned with equality, fearless. It’s nice to see Ginny finding her voice, stepping into the main character circle. She and Neville are more developed in the books than in the movies. It’s wonderful to see a shy person be brave, and fight back against the Death Eaters.

“Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” – Ginny

Luna Lovegood. Oh how I love Luna. She’s unique, courageous, and wonderfully weird. I love the chemistry between Harry and Luna.

“It’s alright” said a dreamy voice from beside Harry as Ron vanished into the coach’s dark interior. “You’re not going mad or anything. I can see them too.”
“Can you?” said Harry desperately, turning to Luna. He could see the bat-winged horses reflected in her wide, silvery eyes.
“Oh yes,” said Luna, “I’ve been able to see them since my first year here. They’ve always pulled the carriages. Don’t worry. You’re just as sane as I am.”
Smiling faintly, she climbed into the musty interior of the carriage after Ron. Not altogether reassured, Harry followed her.”

I know there are a lot of people who hate Snape, but I have to admit, he’s my favourite character. He’s such a complicated character. I wish he could know happiness and love.

Umbridge. What a villain. She’s sweet, sneaky, cute, and corrupt.

St. Mungo’s hospital is a charming place. I wish it had been included in the movies.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is slow-burn, character-driven narrative that I had a hard time getting into. After the halfway mark things picked up and the last two hundred pages flew by at an exciting pace.

Harry’s personality was over-the-top, annoyingly selfish, and I didn’t like how Harry handled Umbridge abusing him. As a Middle Grade book I think it’s important that kids who are reading this know that if someone is hurting them they need to tell a trusted adult (even if that adult isn’t able to stop it, at least show the kid asking for help!).

I don’t like how Ron and Harry walk all over Hermione and take advantage of her. I don’t like Sirius. I think he’s an extremely immature adult, who doesn’t have Harry’s BEST interests in mind. He keeps bringing up Harry’s dead father, and even used it as a way to guilt Harry into taking a risk to do something he was unsure of.

Lupin helping Sirius make excuses for how James bullied Snape as kids made me want to slap Lupin in the face. It would have been nice to have Lupin and Sirius realize their wrongs, and apologize to Snape.

Although there are some choices I don’t agree with, I was thoroughly entertained. I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat. As most cases, the book is better than the movie and I recommend you check it out.

“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”