What a fast read these Harry Potter books are. Maybe because I'm an adult reading them...although I do remember my daughters whipping through them. They read them a few years ago of course and they have convinced me to read them. However, I have three great library books waiting for me, so now that book 2 is finished, I will wait a bit before starting the 3rd.
STORY SUMMARY
Harry Potter is now in his second year at the Hogwarts School and he is excited to be back with his friends Ron, Neville, and Hermione. Just before leaving his Aunt Petunia's and Uncle Vernon's home where he must spend his summers, a little elf visits him. The elf's name is Dobby and he has a warning for Harry: Harry should NOT return to the school because if he does, disaster is sure to strike.
Well, Harry does return. He meets a new professor named Gilderoy Lockheart who is "full of himself' and obnoxious, as well as a ghost named Moaning Myrtle who for some reason haunts the girls' bathroom. (we will discover why towards the end of the book!). Ron's little sister Ginny is a first year student and develops a crush on Harry. But all of these are just little annoyances compared to what really begins to develop.
Someone...or some thing....is attacking various Hogwarts students and turning them into stone! Is it that bad boy Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin, or is it some one or some thing more dangerous?? Could it possibly be Hagrid whose mysterious past we finally will discover? or is it really whom everyone suspects...Harry himself?
MY THOUGHTS
Another fast paced HP book. Character development is excellent and this author does not disappoint in this second book of the series.
The middle got a bit bogged down for me, but I think that's because I was just wanting to get the mysterious voice solved (Harry hears a mysterious voice from time to time in the walls of the buildings), but once the ending drew near, I was drawn in again.
The last two chapters, in my opinin, were the best and really wrapped up the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets. There was a bit of surprise for me......and you think there is an ending to one particular part....yet..knowing this author so far, I have a feeling this particular thing will appear again.
This book has some themes to it: love and friendship; life and the fact that sometimes death can impact another's life; and "finding one's self" which Harry seems to do in this book...he is another year older, and people of all kinds are attracted to him, emotionally. As in the first book, good overcomes evil.
The creativity in this series is just amazing. It is definitely a series for young and old alike.
I liked this quote by the character Dumbledore, the beloved Headmaster:
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
~pg 333, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets c. 1998~
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 8 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.
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