Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling was my least favorite book in the Harry Potter series. I say was because after reading this book again I have to say that I don’t find it as bad as I usually do. This time around I found that I didn’t focus on Harry’s childish martyr-ism and instead just read the book to enjoy the book.

The tension throughout Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is just ridiculous. I find that the further I get into this series re-read the more I seem to find that I have forgotten what actually happened versus what happened in the movies. I have to say that it was a lot of fun to relearn all the nooks and crannies of this book again! I can’t put my finger on exactly what changed my opinion of this book but I do know that I’m glad to have planned this re-read simply for the fact that I’m enjoying it more than I did the previous times.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the series took a darker turn. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Rowling starts doling out the sucker punches. Not once, but twice at the end of a book where I already knew what was coming, I was in tears. Not the kind where my eyes gently filled with tears and a single one slid down my face. Oh no, it was messy and unattractive. I knew this hurt was coming and I was still broken. I’m very much looking forward to the next book!