Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

This is a real ‘coming-of-age' type novel - the kind of book that could be a wonderful revelation if you read it when you're fifteen, but beyond that, it loses a lot of its emotional punch.[return]In some ways, as well, this novel is driven by a desire to coope with the events of the last book - the eponymous Order has to deal with Voldemort's return, and Harry has to deal with the emotional trauma of having a friend die in his arms, as well as all of the issues normally associated with being 15. I've talked to a lot of people who have sad they didn't like this novel, because in it, they claimed, Harry becomes somewhat insufferable. I think, though, that you can't understand Harry's attitude in the book without keeping cognizant the fact that he is only a teenager, and that he lacks the psychoemotional maturity to deal with a lot of what's happened to him. Additionally, the book also has a nice, strong ‘stick-it-to-the-man' sort of attitude to it, which is a refreshing change from the other books, and which helps to firmly place Harry into the realm of adulthood and adult responsibilities. Arguably the best Potter book in the series.