Reviews of J.K. Rowlings' new Harry Potter novel flood the newsstands the morning after its official release at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Most rave about the latest book about the young wizard.
USA Today reported the 38-chapter, 800-page-plus installment was well worth the three-year wait. According to the newspaper review, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," listed at $29.99, is better written than the fourth and flows smoother.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel calls "Phoenix" the darkest, deepest and most complex of the five novels as Harry reaches 15, almost 16 by book's end. "Rowling is a master of plotting, maintaining dramatic tension," the paper writes.
On the other side of the spectrum is a San Francisco Chronicle reviewer who says the over-hyped book, a recycled version of the first four, wins high praise from those afraid to offend.
