Order of the Phoenix wasn't exactly what I expected. That's not saying that it's a bad thing - Au contraire, I loved it, and have read it twice since it came out. But I must admit, there are some things I don't like.

The way the story's written is as fab as ever. JK never ceases to weave magic with her words. It's eloquent and very well strung. But at the same time, it has a much darker feel to it. It's so much more urgent. The whole book, you're wondering what the heck's going on. Not in a bad way, but she manages to arouse interest and captivate it long enough. Though it does seem to drag on at times.

The new characters are marvellous. Particularly Umbridge. She's loathsome and I love the way she's written. Poisoned honey was a magnificent way to describe her. What. A. Cow... Luna's a bit of an oddity - I didn't get her, but she was good. Tonks is alright, as are the other characters who are more accentuated through the book. But the death....Oh My God, that was awful. She did well, wrote it brilliantly, but she prepped us for the death of Hagrid and then look who goes off. I was so shocked I started crying... It just happened. You were given a false sense of security and then she hit you with it. It was very random, and a bit rushed, if I must say.

As for Dumbledore's revelation? It was so heartfelt. I cried there too. I think the way she wrote in everyone's feelings and reactions was great - it personified reality exactly. It's nice to see the hormones and mood swings kicking in. I get so sick of characters in literature that are so darn perfect.

You know, I see this book as the calm before the storm. They're getting the sides ready, then we'll see what happens before heck breaks loose. It's a marvellous book and I wasn't disappointed too much. Hopes, this time, have been justified