Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Author: J. K. Rowling

Pages: 23 discs

Genre: Fantasy

Grade: A-

Synopsis: Harry Potter had a horrible summer after watching Cedric Diggory die at the end of last year and seeing Voldemort's return. He soon realizes that nobody believes him or Dumbledore that Voldemort has returned, and that The Daily Prophet has been slandering his name and making him look like an attention-starved crazy person. Once Harry gets to Hogwarts, things don't get any better as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is Delores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Ministry of Magic and she takes a particular dislike to Harry, banning him from quidditch and forcing him to suffer through painful detention sessions. Harry must find out a way to prove to people that Voldemort has indeed returned.

My Review: I really do enjoy listening to these books as I drive to and from work each day. The reader (Jim Dale) does a fantastic job and although this book was quite long, it was still very enjoyable. My biggest complaint though is that the climax of the book happens long before the book has ended as there are numerous loose ends to tie up before the book is complete. This is the darkest of the Harry Potter books to this point and Harry shows flashes of intense anger that are almost frightening.