The Unofficial Harry Potter Companion Volume 2: Chamber of Secrets: An in-depth exploration

by Alohomora!

Discover new secrets and insights about Harry Potter’s second year at Hogwarts -- a wand-snapping adventure full of enticing intrigue, muddling mysteries, tantalizing terrors, and, unfortunately, Gilderoy Lockhart.

In The Unofficial Harry Potter Volume 2 Chamber of Secrets , first-time readers and longtime fans will discover deep and insightful analysis, Hermione-worthy commentary, and a Hogwarts library-sized collection of fun and magical Potter facts summoned from a variety of official sources.

Whether you are studying with your class, re-reading for pleasure, or looking for a great fact to stump your friends at trivia night, this is the book for you!

Discover &
- Should Harry have been in Slytherin?
- Who is the face behind Hermione’s whiskers?
- World War II and Hogwarts
- Narcissist or Nobody?
- Dark Magic 101
- Breaking down the foreshadowing and misdirection of a glorious whodunit
- Does Pepper-up Potion work on Squibs?
- Mandrake Liberation Front, unite for the history of these peculiar plants!

Presented by the dedicated minds behind the popular Alohomora! podcast, which has been downloaded by more than 7 million global listeners, there is always something new to gad about with your ghouls. From magical theories about the wizarding world to real-life literary references, this book will guide you through Harry’s thrilling journey from breaking the bars at Privet Drive to slithering down the Hogwarts pipes, all without putting another toe out of line.

Genres: Harry Potter, Fantasy, Fiction

160 pages, Hardcover

Published April 18, 2023

Reviews

[Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile]

The Chamber of Secrets is not one of my favorite installments in this series, but this book made it fun and way more interesting by providing bite-size chunks of trivia and things to think about. It made me see these characters in a different light. Highly recommend these books for their very in-depth analysis of this beloved series.

[Sarah Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and insightful. Fantastic for any fan of the harry potter series and the podcast Alohomora

[J.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book, but I feel like this second one really finds the sweet spot for this series. I look forward to devouring the subsequent volumes even more now. Dream scenario: Volume 3 is released concurrent with MinaLima’s Prisoner of Azkaban🤞.

[Who Watches · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was quite pleasantly surprised with the depth of this handbook. It explores the events of the Chamber of Secrets with clarity and meticulously crafted categories that made my reread quite rewarding. Things I'd never realized about the series were finally handed to me here, alongside wonderfully thorough examinations of each and every event of the plot as it unfolds. I missed the first volume, but I'm thinking of picking it up just because this was such a useful and well-organized resource. I really, really hope the other books get a companion from these authors, because they only get more complex.

My only criticisms are these: first of all, there are some posits in this handbook that make me somewhat raise a brow. It suggests many connections exist between Harry Potter and some outer-body of wider literature, which is obviously true, but it takes the claim a bit far at times. I can't imagine many of the Biblical references, or the references to other serpents in world mythologies, were exactly intentional. If they are, I'll eat my words, but something tells me we'll never actually find out at this point. Furthermore, while I loved all of the meta-info in the margins of this book, this constant phrase: "the author" this, "the author" that, just pissed me off. She has a NAME, and fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself. For all the depth and coverage of the series in this book, the irony here is unmistakable. Give Rowling her credit where it's due.

That said, I look forward to giving the other resources produced by this team a look, if not the podcast itself.

[Lorrie Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this companion volume gives you the full fandom experience of reading a Harry Potter book and then debating theories and holding "what if" conversations with fellow fans. I found the special features called "A Closer Look" to be well done, especially one examining how Harry encounters Dark Magic in almost every chapter of Chamber of Secrets and another theorizing that the series could have been better if Harry had been Sorted into Slytherin. Between the timelines and the sidebars about fan theories that have been popular over the years, it's a good chronicle of how half the fun of being a reader of HP is discussing the books with others.

[Matthew McCready · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I said about the organization of Volume 1 applies to Volume 2.

I do notice more background information outside of the books, such as when "please" became known as "the magic word" or when muggle was first used.

They do an excellent job of explaining true narcissism, or rather Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) by examples.

Now I must wait (again) for the next volume.

[Lexie Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting delve into “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!” It gives a summary on each chapter with tidbits, fun facts, and snippets that make you really think beyond the book. It would be a great tool for book clubs, answer any questions you may have and/ or if you want to go into details of the book. I want to read more of these!

[Book Shark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful sequel to the first Companion. I'm really hoping for a third soon!

[Emma Stubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

the perfect companion to a reread 🧚🏼‍♀️ so much fun