Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
by J.K. Rowling
Published by Arthur A. Levine
Publication Date July 1, 1998
Source: Bought
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

All Harry Potter wants is to get away from the Dursleys and go back to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby - who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockheart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone--or something--starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects... Harry Potter himself.

In the second installment of the series J.K. Rowling introduces several new characters into the mix.

First is Dobby the house elf who warns Harry, for his own good sir not to go back to Hogwarts School as it is not safe this year.  Unfortunately, Harry brushes this advise aside and attends his classes,  Dobby tries to no avail to detour Harry but nothing bears fruit and usually ends up doing more harm than good to himself and The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Second is the Weasley family,  the reader is introduced to Mr and Mrs Weasley who become surrogate parents to Harry and treat him as one of their own.  The other member is the youngest Weasley child and only girl Ginny who is starting her first year at Hogwarts.

The third new character is Moaning Myrtle, a girl who was consistently teased and tragically died fifty years ago under mysterious circumstances.

Lastly, and my personal favorite the new Defense Against the Arts teacher Gildaroy Lockheart, a big-headed, international bestseller for such books as Magical Me and Gadding with Ghouls; and in truth can only talk the talk and not walk the walk so all in all is rather pathetic.  I reread this series numerous time and still get a kick out of his disastrous magical attempts.

Of course we can’t forget the main characters, Harry, Ron and Hermione,  the writing for all three is much more developed and mature and through out the books J.K. Rowling makes apparent that the three are going through “growing pains” and maturing in general.

All in all this was a good young adult novel {I’ve read at least twenty times so it better be} and as the series progresses and builds more popularity as a crossover book the writing style improves and becomes a little less juvenile.