A review by maxsebastian
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

While this story is my childhood favorite of the Harry Potter series, I found it slightly less compelling on a re-read. Although Harry's anger at the beginning of the book feels in character given the events at the end of The Goblet of Fire, it can be grating. More frustratingly, this book just drags a little in the middle. 

That's about all the negatives, though. The Order of the Phoenix develops the most compelling villain of the series, Dolores Umbridge, establishes some great inter-house co-operation in the titular order, and dives into the psyche of several central characters, including illustrating the complex but ultimately beautiful relationship between Harry and Sirius

before he tragic death, that is

. The ending of this book is beautifully done and the department of mysteries, as illustrated on the original American hardcover, is as alluring today as ever. There's a reason the adaptation takes so many lines from this book verbatim: the dialogue is excellent. 

This book gets dark for our heroes, but there are also real moments of joy. Hogwarts is still a magical place, but the underlying tensions are becoming all the more apparent. In this way, Rowling effectively tells a self contained middle book within the fold of the series.