Review : Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Title : Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Author : J.K. Rowling Reading Dates : 2 May - 5 May 2011
Harry Potter
The books in the series : The Philosopher's Stone The Chamber of Secrets The Prisoner of Azkaban The Goblet of Fire The Order of the Phoenix The Half-Blood Prince The Deathly Hallows
From goodreads :
It's hard to fall in love with an earnest, appealing young hero like Harry Potter and then to watch helplessly as he steps into terrible danger! And in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the much anticipated sequel to the award-winning Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, he is in terrible danger indeed. As if it's not bad enough that after a long summer with the horrid Dursleys he is thwarted in his attempts to hop the train to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his second year. But when his only transportation option is a magical flying car, it is just his luck to crash into a valuable (but clearly vexed) Whomping Willow. Still, all this seems like a day in the park compared to what happens that fall within the haunted halls of Hogwarts. Chilling, malevolent voices whisper from the walls only to Harry, and it seems certain that his classmate Draco Malfoy is out to get him. Soon it's not just Harry who is worried about survival, as dreadful things begin to happen at Hogwarts. The mysteriously gleaming, foot-high words on the wall proclaim, "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware." But what exactly does it mean? Harry, Hermione, and Ron do everything that is wizardly possible--including risking their own lives--to solve this 50-year-old, seemingly deadly mystery. This deliciously suspenseful novel is every bit as gripping, imaginative, and creepy as the first; familiar student concerns--fierce rivalry, blush-inducing crushes, pedantic professors--seamlessly intertwine with the bizarre, horrific, fantastical, or just plain funny. Once again, Rowling writes with a combination of wit, whimsy, and a touch of the macabre that will leave readers young and old desperate for the next installment. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

Book Review of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The Chamber of Secrets is probably the funniest book in the Harry Potter series. This is largely due to Gilderoy Lockhart and Dobby. Harry, Ron and Hermione’s reactions to the antics of the house-elf and their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had me laughing a number of times.

But while I still love the series, I couldn’t help noticing that some of the things which occur seem rather convenient or illogical. The teachers, including Albus Dumbledore, must be a rather dense bunch if they didn’t notice the clue held by Hermione for so long. Yet, Ron and Harry picks up on it right away the first time they meet her again after her petrification. The other thing that puzzles me is why after figuring out the secret regarding the monster and the chamber, Harry and Ron doesn’t tell Minerva McGonagall as they’d plan before learning of Ginny’s disappearance. I’d think that piece of information would be even more crucial then.

Apart from that though, The Chamber of Secrets still makes a very exciting read.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Yes.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? Everyone.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy the series.

Read another review on the book by :

• a thousand Books with Quotes
• Geeky Blogger's Book Blog
• To Read or Not To Read

Challenges : 100+ Reading Challenge, Harry Potter Reading Challenge