I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I've read all the books 3 or 4 times each and I was really looking forward to book 5.
Amazon had my book delivered on the Saturday morning at 7.20am and I had finished it by the following Wednesday. I am now half way through reading it again.
Like lenny l, I enjoyed the book but it was nowhere as good as Prisoner of Azkabam. I thought there was so much left unanswered like how aunt Petunia knew so much about the wizarding world, why Percy hadn't apologised for his actions, and we didn't really find out much about Lily and James.
When I read that JKR had cried at killing off Sirius Black, I didn't feel that the character had been killed off properly (just fallen behind a veil, no body, no funeral ???), I must confess that I shed a tear for the death of Cedric Diggory (as that was a bit of a shock).
Plus that whole chapter on Hagrid finding his brother was - BORING.
Loved the bit about Prof. Lockhart in hospital, still as mad as ever, and Prof. Umbridge was a right cow (brilliant, to find someone that Harry hated more than Snape)
Anyway I can't wait for book 6, and the Prisoner of Azkabam movie.
I rate it 8/10
mandymouse