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
Reviews:
Jo Miller (USA: CO) (2009/05/20): I really enjoyed this book. It was better than the first one. I wish I had read this before the movie came out though, it would have been one of my favorites, the movie guys did a great job following the book so closely. I liked the lessons that J.K. Rowling is trying to teach... like how prejudice can be poisonious and how if the cycle isn't stopped it just goes from generation to generation. I am truely loving the charactors. I just adore Ron and his family! Lisa (USA: OH) (2010/06/24): I quite enjoyed this book. I liked it about the same as the first book. Great storyline, interesting new characters, and overall easy read for me. Read it in a day. Crystal (USA: MI) (2012/03/09): My friend got me started reading the Harry Potter series. I thought it was just for kids but they are really good books.
