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adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This might be my favorite that I’ve read in the series! I felt for Harry in this chapter- things are hard, he’s villainized in the press, feels slighted by Dumbledore, and in the dark on other happenings. Umbridge- UGH, but I really did love Jim Dale’s high pitched throat-clearing cough to tell you when she was right around the corner. We’re introduced to new characters, lave some behind, learn more about Harry’s family past, and get answers to some important questions (like WHY does he always have to spend summer in the worst place on Earth?). Great new introductions including Dumbledore’s Army, occlumency, The Department of Mysteries, prophecies, Luna Lovegood, Umbridge, Tonks, Bellatrix Lestrange. This book continued to feel darker and more adult than the others in the series, but I really loved all 26 hours. Two to go!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Murder
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The fifth book in the Harry Potter series, The Order of the Phoenix is an interesting turn in the series' pace and atmosphere. While the novel is super-intricate in terms of plot and detail, and while it calls back to a lot of the events in previous novels, it is also the darkest and most depressing in the series so far. The dark and stormy aesthetic, the presence of Umbridge and her control over the school and its flow of information, and the constant fight for truth and justice is a heavy, difficult read for anyone going through a dark time. Harry's character traits in this novel don't help that flow much either. He is the most insufferable and obstinate that he's ever been, and while I can understand why he is that way with everything he had experienced up to this point, it still doesn't make it any easier of a read. I found myself metaphorically yelling at the pages too often. I also don't like how they tried to introduce a sort of "redemption arc" to save Snape's character; it just doesn't land. Overall, it's definitely a book for the truest of fans as it's hard to slog through fairly often - especially near the beginning. The amount of detail, the hard-hitting plot twists, and the general character-building are fairly solid and still make the novel a worthy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Torture, Blood, Grief, Murder
Emotional abuse: One of the teachers consistently abuses Harry emotionally by putting him down, discrediting his word, etc.
Gaslighting: The entire novel revolves around the main leaders of the wizarding world disbelieving and gaslighting Harry about the events he witnessed in the previous novel.
Blood: One character receives a bloody nose in a battle. One character is consistently bleeding from the hand due to a punishment. One character experiences visuals of her loved ones dead in a bloody mess.
Bullying: Malfoy and his cronies amp up their bullying to an extreme, abusing their power as prefects to consistently pick on, restrain, and overtake Harry and his friends.
Death/Grief/Murder: One important character is killed off near the end of the book, and Harry experiences many stages of grief after. Grief is also experienced by another character mourning one of the death's from the previous novel.
Torture: The torture curse is used frequently in this novel by the bad guys. The punishment Harry experiences from Umbridge could absolutely be seen as torture.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The majority of this book was good but went on for far too long. But the last third of it was very good and had me sobbing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Bullying, Torture
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Classism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Torture, Medical trauma
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Harry Potter and the order of CAPS LOCK RAGE. The supporting characters are there to process the title character's emotions for him. Somehow the race that is enslaved is happy to be enslaved and wanting to free the slaves is viewed as silly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Murder
Minor: Torture, Blood, Medical content