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Bonnie Gayle's review

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)
by J.K. Rowling

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15881.Harry_Potter_and_the_Chamber_of_Secrets?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HXKV6R8DL._SL160_.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15881.Harry_Potter_and_the_Chamber_of_Secrets?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1077326.J_K_Rowling">J.K. Rowling</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3732884?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 5 of 5 stars WARNING! I'm serious about the spoilers! WARNING!
 
 The second Harry Potter book, and proof that JK Rowling wasn't a one hit wonder. 
 
 This book showed quickly how dark the books could get. When Mrs. Norris is found hanging on the wall, it was almost like a warning that she wasn't going to stay sweet and kid friendly throughout the whole series. 
 
 Also, the way people start to look at Harry differently, questioning whether he could be the heir of Slytherin. It's such a change from how in awe everyone is of him in the first book, and yet both are entirely believable. In fact, even though you're with Harry, so you know he didn't do it, you totally see how others could believe it. Really well done.
 
 I like how there was more classtime in this book. I love how Rowling writes classtime so interestingly. I want to take those classes! Badly!
 
 I also like how the Aragog scene really feels like the finale of the book. It's such a surprise when that scene plays out differently than you're expecting it to. 
 
 I also like how Professor Lockhart is the comic relief. In a kid's book, it's so perfect to have the teacher be the doof! 
 
 Also, the polyjuice potion. You really never know what magic is going to show up next. What a great scene, and one that I was happy was done so well in the movie, because I was looking forward to seeing that when I read the book. 
 
 As for what I didn't like: I really thought that the teachers in the book were unrealistically apathetic throughout most of the book. There's a fine line an author has to walk, between giving the kids in the book the free-reign to solve the mystery themselves, and having the teachers seem like they really don't care that kids are getting attacked right and left. This book makes me start to question whether Dumbledore is too intent on giving Harry a chance to test his wings, to the detriment of everything else, everytime I read it. I really felt, since Harry has the invisibility cloak, why not have the teachers start their concern earlier, and just have Harry sneaking around the halls. Those scenes are deliciously tense anyway!
 
 I also didn't like the ending of this book as much. Harry gets there, and there's a giant Basilisk that he can't even look at, and you're really excited to see how he's going to get himself out of there alive...and then it's all done for him. Fawkes fights the whole battle himself. Talk about anticlimactic! Even when Harry does the one and only thing he does, stabbing the fang into the diary, it's poorly done. Something like, "Harry didn't know why, but it felt like the right thing to do." Come on! It's almost like Rowling painted herself into the corner in that last scene, and then said, "okay. Now what?"
 
 I do like how the diary is one of Voldemort's horcruxes. You get to the end of the series, and learn about the horcruxes, and it puts the reader in awe. It's like, wow, she really did have a master plan all along!
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/175268?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Bonnie Gayle's review
rating:
bookshelves: fantasy-sf, reread, reviewed

** spoiler alert ** WARNING! I'm serious about the spoilers! WARNING!

The second Harry Potter book, and proof that JK Rowling wasn't a one hit wonder.

This book showed quickly how dark the books could get. When Mrs. Norris is found hanging on the wall, it was almost like a warning that she wasn't going to stay sweet and kid friendly throughout the whole series.

Also, the way people start to look at Harry differently, questioning whether he could be the heir of Slytherin. It's such a change from how in awe everyone is of him in the first book, and yet both are entirely believable. In fact, even though you're with Harry, so you know he didn't do it, you totally see how others could believe it. Really well done.

I like how there was more classtime in this book. I love how Rowling writes classtime so interestingly. I want to take those classes! Badly!

I also like how the Aragog scene really feels like the finale of the book. It's such a surprise when that scene plays out differently than you'...more WARNING! I'm serious about the spoilers! WARNING!

The second Harry Potter book, and proof that JK Rowling wasn't a one hit wonder.

This book showed quickly how dark the books could get. When Mrs. Norris is found hanging on the wall, it was almost like a warning that she wasn't going to stay sweet and kid friendly throughout the whole series.

Also, the way people start to look at Harry differently, questioning whether he could be the heir of Slytherin. It's such a change from how in awe everyone is of him in the first book, and yet both are entirely believable. In fact, even though you're with Harry, so you know he didn't do it, you totally see how others could believe it. Really well done.

I like how there was more classtime in this book. I love how Rowling writes classtime so interestingly. I want to take those classes! Badly!

I also like how the Aragog scene really feels like the finale of the book. It's such a surprise when that scene plays out differently than you're expecting it to.

I also like how Professor Lockhart is the comic relief. In a kid's book, it's so perfect to have the teacher be the doof!

Also, the polyjuice potion. You really never know what magic is going to show up next. What a great scene, and one that I was happy was done so well in the movie, because I was looking forward to seeing that when I read the book.

As for what I didn't like: I really thought that the teachers in the book were unrealistically apathetic throughout most of the book. There's a fine line an author has to walk, between giving the kids in the book the free-reign to solve the mystery themselves, and having the teachers seem like they really don't care that kids are getting attacked right and left. This book makes me start to question whether Dumbledore is too intent on giving Harry a chance to test his wings, to the detriment of everything else, everytime I read it. I really felt, since Harry has the invisibility cloak, why not have the teachers start their concern earlier, and just have Harry sneaking around the halls. Those scenes are deliciously tense anyway!

I also didn't like the ending of this book as much. Harry gets there, and there's a giant Basilisk that he can't even look at, and you're really excited to see how he's going to get himself out of there alive...and then it's all done for him. Fawkes fights the whole battle himself. Talk about anticlimactic! Even when Harry does the one and only thing he does, stabbing the fang into the diary, it's poorly done. Something like, "Harry didn't know why, but it felt like the right thing to do." Come on! It's almost like Rowling painted herself into the corner in that last scene, and then said, "okay. Now what?"

I do like how the diary is one of Voldemort's horcruxes. You get to the end of the series, and learn about the horcruxes, and it puts the reader in awe. It's like, wow, she really did have a master plan all along!...less

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