It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Author: J.K Rowling

Series: Harry Potter # 2

Publication: June 2nd 1998 by Scholastic Inc.

Pages: 341

Source: Library

Summary from Goodreads:

The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he’s packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls’ bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley’s younger sister, Ginny. But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone, or something, starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects: Harry Potter himself?

My Thoughts:

I’m back for more! Woo hoo! I’ll be perfectly honest, Chamber of Secrets used to completely terrify me as a kid. I mean, come on? It has a giant ass snake, huge spiders, and a magic diary. What’s not to be afraid of? I can tell you that, yes, this book still freaks me out – but now I’m older and I understand it’s pretty much impossible. In that case, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a fantastic book, a wondrous sequel, and an overall joyride of a read if you can get past the nasty creepy crawlies.

I am serious, though. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a fantastic book. Harry is one year older, the writing seems to have expanded as he aged, and the plot itself is much more in depth. I love the mystery involved. Even though I’d read the book as a child and seen the movie, I completely forgot who had opened the Chamber of Secrets. So, reading this book was like discovering everything all over again. It was wonderful. I never suspected who was actually responsible.

One of my favorite parts of the book, by far, was the buffoonery of Gilderoy Lockheart. Strange, I know. However, I for one have had professors just like him, so seeing him make a fool of himself and seeing how the other professors wouldn’t put up with his crap was wonderfully refreshing. I might as well get a little enjoyment out of something I have to live with everyday. Anyways, back to more book related things. Another aspect I adored in this installment was how much more in depth the writing was. Though I loved the first book, the writing was sort of plain. It worked. However, in Chamber of Secrets, the writing delved deeper into feelings and actions and it made for a whole new experience. It was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was a marvelous sequel to an already marvelous tale. Filled with magical creatures, hilarious shenanigans, clever plots, and bonds of friendship that will warm your soul, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets will forever stay in your hearts.

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