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

June 2018: I love the angst and the anger and the pain of this book. I love the explosive fury that comes out of Harry being isolated and in a pressure cooker. This book is wonderful. The reader feels all of the anger inside Harry and feels it deeply in return. I love this book.
The plot of the series thickens nicely. We are given so much new information and is escalates so wonderfully. Even the lecture at the end (after having heard it so many times) does not feel like info dump. The frustration over lack of communication just makes you connect more fully to Harry and his fury.
I have such strong memories related to this book in particular. This was when I was really able to start my baby version of theorizing. I spent hours on the phone with my best friend discussing what would happen in book 6 (no title yet) and scoured forums reading theories. I devoured mugglecast to have the feeling of talking to more friends about Harry Potter. While reading the book I got a pop-up ad on my computer that just said “Sirius Black dies” and I turned my computer off (the bad “hold the button down” way because I had been wronged by the thing) and did not get back on until I finished. And this was the first midnight release my parents let me go to. It was an amazing experience reading this for the first time.
And clearly, I am still amazed by this book.
Basically, the end of each book feels like “this is where it really starts” because the plot is escalated so well (in my opinion). But the last chapter being “The Second War Begins” obviously brings this feeling even stronger. I’m so excited to read book six again. Though I will miss this book as I read it.

Obviously 5 stars on Goodreads.