Mike Little’s Journalized

Wow! Tonight I finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling. Not bad going since Sunday night!
I must say I really enjoyed it. I found it much more entertaining and fast paced than Goblet of Fire. The story line is good, without too many twists and turns in the plot. It is not perfect by any measure and some of the book is not up to the standard of the earlier books. Read on for more detail, but only if you don’t mind learning about the plot. You have been warned! Plot spoilers ahead. Edit: Oops! I accidentally mis-spelled phoenix as pheonix in the title this post.
So, as I was saying, whilst I found the plot to be much simpler, some aspects were too simple. I guessed who would die within a few paragraphs of his appearance, and I then found the rest of the story involving him to be forced and quite annoying in parts. I spotted the first obvious character death red-herring, quite easily, but by the time of the second near-death, I didn’t even consider him as a candidate, I just knew who it was going to be. As for the death itself, I was disappointed! It was rather lacklustre.
But I don’t want to be all negative about the book. I really enjoyed Harry as an angry teenager. I liked that Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn’t always get along. I liked the pace of the plot, and some of the new characters. I liked the development of some of the previously minor characters. I particularly liked the treatment of Fred and George. They had to go sometime, and I think she handled it very well. I did think Hagrid’s side plot was very poor. I don’t think the ‘plot point’ or ‘value’ of all that mystery was worth it. I have just realised that perhaps we were meant to consider Hagrid as a possible dead ‘un too!
Anyway overall I did enjoy the book. I will be reading it again. Recommended.