Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
J. K. Rowling, 2003
★ 4.50 from 4m ratings on Goodreads
Harry's fifth year: a Ministry appointee takes over Hogwarts, the press calls him a liar, and the only defence is a room full of stubborn students. A long, restless school year with a witty, defiant voice, friendships under strain, and a growing sense of dread.
Feels like nostalgia, defiance and dread. About friendship, power and adventure.
Who it’s for
You may like it if you enjoy school stories with political tension, loyal friends, and a hero who pushes back. Be aware that it is a long book, and some readers find Harry’s anger and sulking hard to take.
Why read it
Its resistance story offers stubborn students, sharp humor, and a tense school year that makes the size of the book feel purposeful.
A page from the book
The kind of speech that sounds like care and works like a cage.
The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance.The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching. Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts have brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress’s sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. What readers say
Readers often describe intense anger at the villain and the Ministry, along with tears and heartbreak near the end. Some find the book too long and Harry’s angst irritating, while others value the nostalgia, new characters, and resistance story.
J. K. Rowling.Rowling has said the Dementors were inspired by her own experience of depression — the feeling of never expecting to be cheerful again.
Books that feel like this
More by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J. K. Rowling, 1997
A boy who has never been loved learns he is a wizard, enters a castle school of moving staircases, and finds the first friends who choose him.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J. K. Rowling, 1998
A second year at Hogwarts turns sinister when a hidden chamber opens, a voice hisses in the walls, and everyone suspects Harry—while a vain new professor steals the credit.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J. K. Rowling, 1999
A prison break, soul-draining guards, and a map that insults its readers: Harry's third year at Hogwarts.
Where to get it
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Questions readers ask
- Is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for me?
- You may like it if you enjoy school stories with political tension, loyal friends, and a hero who pushes back. Be aware that it is a long book, and some readers find Harry’s anger and sulking hard to take.
- What is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix like?
- A long, restless school year with a witty, defiant voice, friendships under strain, and a growing sense of dread. Feels like nostalgia, defiance and dread. About friendship, power and adventure.
- What should I read after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix?
- If you liked Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, try Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins), Twilight (Stephenie Meyer) and The Three Musketeers (Alexandre Dumas).
A taste of the feed
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Mockingjay · Suzanne Collins
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Twilight · Stephenie Meyer
The particular agony of walking into a room where everyone already knows each other.
It was, then, into the midst of this tumult and disorder that our young man advanced with a beating heart, ranging his long rapier up his lanky leg, and keeping one hand on the edge of his cap, with that half-smile of the embarrassed provincial who wishes to put on a good face. When he had passed one group he began to breathe more freely; but he could not help observing that they turned round to look at him, and for the first time in his life d’Artagnan, who had till that day entertained a very good opinion of himself, felt ridiculous.
The Three Musketeers · Alexandre Dumas
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