I recently finished reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling. This book is 251 pages. I re-read this book because I recently re-read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and I enjoyed it (as far as books go). I think that the second book in this series is a good book like the first one, I liked the first one better even though I think the second book has a more interesting plot. This is just personal preference. I didn’t like the second book much when I first read it back in second grade, either, but I think that’s because it scared me.

 

The second book in the series starts off with a series of warnings toward Harry. In the beginning of the books, Harry encounters a house elf named Dobby at the Dursley household, where Dobby warns Harry not to go back to Hogwarts. Harry refuses, and Dobby turns invisible and wreaks havoc during dinner. The Dursleys lock Harry in his room for the rest of the summer, and Dobby leaves because he believes Harry is stuck in his room and won’t be able to go to Hogwarts this year. The Weasleys arrive in their flying car, however, and take Harry out of his window. Harry spends the rest of the summer happily at the Weasley’s, until it’s time for Hogwarts. This is where the second warning/strange event happens: Harry and Ron are unable to enter the invisible train platform to get to Hogwarts. Harry and Ron have to take the Weasley’s flying car, and have a hard landing. Harry and Ron are given detentions, and get a lecture after Professor Lockhart believes they crashed for attention. After they arrive at Hogwarts, there are more strange occurrences throughout the school and Harry is suspect to being responsible. Things from a cat being killed and eerie messages written in its blood, to petrified students being found. Harry, Ron and their friend Hermione decide they need to get to the bottom of things and start to investigate. A quote that I thought was interesting was when Dumbledore said “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” I thought that this was interesting because Dumbledore is essentially saying hard work and courage can make up for lack of ability, when you would expect a master wizard like him to want perfection.

 

I think the reason I didn’t like this book the first time was because it scared me. This book is a little graphic for a second grader, but I think I liked it a little bit more the second time I read it. I would recommend this book, and I rate it a 8 out of 10. I still don’t enjoy reading very much, but good books like this make it a little bit easier for me.