Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets - J. K. Rowling

RATING: FOUR STARS

Harry Potter is very different from other teenagers, mainly because the summer holidays are his least favourite time of the year and he dreads having to spend those hot months with the Dursley's in Private Drive. For Harry Potter is not like normal boys. He is a wizard and spends most of his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the fantastic has common place,

And so he waits patiently in the muggle world for his second year at Hogwarts to begin, excited and full of anticipation. But Harry soon finds that not all is what it seems this year at Hogwarts and old forces that are full of chicanery are at play. The Chamber of Secret's has been opened for the first time in 50 years. The deadly monster that lives there has been unleashed and it is set on but course: to continue the iniquity of Salazar Slytherin and purify Hogwarts of all muggle-born students . . .

The Good
J. K. Rowling continues her Harry Potter series with a fantastic book that's full of suspense and intrigue as she unravels the mystery of a sinister plot. She has established the events well and even leaves clues throughout the book as to what exactly is going on, which are fairly obvious if you already know the story beforehand and is yet another example of how clever her writing is. Rowling has stayed true to the dogma she established in The Philosopher's Stone and the book is bursting with magic and imagination in every page!

Rowling's characterisation is simply superb and she had an uncanny way of bringing her world and characters to life. Her prose style is very light and flows easily meaning that I read chapter after chapter without stopping for a break as I do in some 'heavier' works that require more concentration. I think this is largely due to the fact that the series is aimed for children and young adults, but, her colourful writing and characters make the book just as enjoyable for adults!

The Bad
Like I said before, this is Harry Potter . . . What could be bad about it?!

My Thoughts
The Chamber of Secrets continues Harry Potter's great Hogwart's adventure in a vivid, page-turning style and makes a great instalment to the acclaimed series. Rowling has shown once again why her books have been so successfully and I had a lot of nostalgic fun reading this book!