08 December, 2011

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Author: J.K Rowling
Series: Harry Potter
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Children/ Young Adult
Format: Book - Personal Collection

From Goodreads: As if it's not bad enough that after a long summer with the horrid Dursleys [Harry] 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

What I thought: I decided back in August after seeing the last Harry Potter movie to re-read the books. I read the first one and then promptly got caught up in other stuff! After reading a few heavier type books, I decided I needed something a little lighter and this was perfect.
I do find it interesting rereading these having read all of them. You pick up little things and wonder if Rowling had the whole series mapped out at the beginning, or whether she took ideas from these earlier books and expanded them later. Either way, it's just as good now as it was the first time!

Recommended for: everyone! A true classic

Challenges: 100+ Challenge. I’m not adding this to my YA challenges as I feel it’s not really a YA book, more a children’s.