Book #33
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches, 15-year-old Harry Potter is in full-blown adolescence, complete with regular outbursts of rage, a nearly debilitating crush, and the blooming of a powerful sense of rebellion. It's been yet another infuriating and boring summer with the despicable Dursleys, this time with minimal contact from our hero's non-Muggle friends from school. Harry is feeling especially edgy at the lack of news from the magic world, wondering when the freshly revived evil Lord Voldemort will strike. Returning to Hogwarts will be a relief... or will it?
It really pains me to say this, but this is definitely my least favourite of the seven books in the Harry Potter series. I suppose with every series you will always have favourites and least favourites, but this one just disappoints me to an incredible level. Its only redeeming quality is that it's a part of the story, and has to be read to move the plot along. If it weren't for this, I wouldn't have bothered.
My main complaint here is how much I hated Harry with a passion. I have loved him completely throughout the previous four installments, but this time Rowling portrays him as a complete cretin. He moans constantly and is almost always unnecessarily rude to his friends, not to mention authority figures, all of whom are only acting with his best interests at heart. He is even rude to Dumbledore, which in my book is an unforgivable act of blasphemy. The majority of the book is Harry SHOUTING IN CAPITAL LETTERS AT EVERYONE WHO CROSSES HIS PATH BECAUSE OMG THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND HIM, HOW CAN THEY?!
My next annoyance is the death of Sirius. It's pathetic. It happens in a mere sentence and no one is entirely sure of what's happened. I've heard many people say that this is the death that has affected them most in the series, but I really feel that it could've been done better, and with more emotion. It didn't touch a cord with me at all.
I feel a bit sacrilegious posting this review, so I'm going to keep it short and sweet. I am only too pleased that I'm now moving onto Book Six, which I already know is an improvement.