Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
Albus Dumbledore
Summary:
Harry Potter is back with the Dursleys’ for the summer and is hating every minute of it just wishing for some sign of the wizarding world. His wish is granted when a house-elf named Dobby shows up in his room warning Harry to not return to Hogwarts as there is a plot to make terrible things happen there. After Dobby gets Harry in trouble, Harry is locked in his room until he is rescued by his friend Ron Weasley and brought back to the Weasley house named the Burrow. Harry remains with the Weasleys for the rest of the summer, which he loves, but eagerly awaits his return to Hogwarts but on the day, he is supposed to leave for Hogwarts something stops Ron and him from getting on platform 9 3/4. Taking matters into their own hands Harry and Ron take Mr. Weasley’s flying car and fly their way to Hogwarts but have a crash landing. With an already rough start to his school year, Harry hopes to have an easy year at Hogwarts but when he starts to hear voices Harry leads to petrified people he begins to think that there might just be a terrible plot afoot.
Characters:
Our 3 main characters for the first book in the series are the same. Harry, Ron, and Hermione have not changed much since the end of book one. Harry Potter is a masterful quidditch player with a knack for foiling evil plans. He grows the most in this book, with a lot of self-discovery. Ron Weasley woes continue and his luck has yet to improve. He is still the comic of the group, aided this time by his shattered wand. Hermione Granger is still top of their entire class, with mastery in nearly everything they learn. She does find herself distracted by one of her professors, a new side of Hermione we have yet to see. We also see a handful of new side characters, from Dobby to Lockhart, and a more substantial role for Ginny Weasley.
Sebastian: 9.9/10
While I think that all the Harry Potter books are amazing, I think that each book has an element that makes that individual entry in the series memorable. In my opinion, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has a fantastic mystery that makes it compelling. The mystery of what is the Chamber of Secrets and who opened it is interesting to try and solve as a reader and as each new piece of information is revealed the more, I want to keep reading. All your favourite characters return and we get to see how they continue to develop with Harry gaining more confidence in his wizarding abilities and his continued bravery helps save the day. Hermione continues to know more than the boys academically and is key in solving the mystery. Ron’s loyalty and general knowledge of the way the wizarding world functions help them in their adventure. Some great new secondary characters are introduced with Gilderoy Lockhart and Dobby bringing comedy but from two very different styles with Lockhart being the idiot to laugh at and Dobby being a sympathetic character who just so happens to nearly kill Harry a few times. The villain Lucius Malfoy is introduced as well and he proves to another adversary for Harry to beat and he sheds insight into how Draco became the way he is. The world is fleshed out some more in this installment with the introduction of blood status superiority which is like racism and adds some darker themes to the wizarding world. This book also is darker than its predecessor with a higher risk of death and a lot of innocent students getting hurt in the mix. There are some big reveals that have implications for the rest of the series that all lead to a fun and exciting climax.
All in all, this is a fantastic book that is one of my favourites and fits well with the rest of the Harry Potter series that I would recommend to any fans who haven’t read it in a while, and to anyone yet to read go check it out!
Austin: 9.2/10
This might be my favourite book in the series. It is one of the shorter ones, but the plot is great. Harry had some self-doubts about where he belongs after his experiences with the Sorting Hat, and this book dives right into that. It is great to see more character development for some of the best side characters from the first book. The plotline is wonderful in this book, and J.K. Rowlings does a great job closing it by the end of the book while leaving a few new doors open for later in the series.
We see some great character development, but a different kind in this second novel. The first book focused on our main protagonists, but this second one puts more of a spotlight on the secondary characters. New or old, it is great to learn about more characters in the mystical world of Harry Potter.
The small details around Hogwarts are almost, and it feels like you are transported to the castle when you sit down to read this book. The plot is great, the characters are good, but the best part is the way this book is written. Every detail is thought out, nothing overlooked, and this leads to a really clean book. We have very few plot holes or descriptive details that are missed, and it makes this book easy to read. The details put into the action scenes are some of the best, and it helps bring the monsters to life.
I really enjoy this book, from start to finish. It’s only ~250 pages, so nothing too extreme or long to pick up if you haven’t read it before. While many of you have already read this one, if by some chance you haven’t this is one you need to add to your reading list.
Nathanyal: 8.5/10
The Chamber of Secrets is an enjoyable sequel to the successful Philosopher’s Stone. Overall, I did enjoy the novel, however, it does lose a bit of charm compared to the first novel. Hogwarts is still magical, but it isn’t the same as the brilliance in the first book. On the other hand, since this is Harry’s second time around Hogwarts, the story is able to expand on its world building and lore. This is the first novel where we meet some fun characters, namely the Whomping Willow and Dobby. Another aspect that this novel improves is the whole story surrounding Voldemort, and we’re able to learn more about his past as Tom Riddle.
I think the best part of this novel comes from the final battle with the Basilisk. I’ve always enjoyed reading more about the mystical beasts in this world. I also enjoyed how Harry pulls the sword of Gryffindor to defeat the giant snake.
Overall, this novel was an enjoyable follow up to its predecessor. Although it did not carry that same blissful charm the first novel had, this one did feature some fun new characters and more amazing creatures.
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Love the reviews guys
Thanks, Yogurtmikey! Nothing goes better with a good book than a yogurt, pretty sure you might know a thing or two about that.