Rating: 
Summary: The BEST book I have EVER read!
Review: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" really tops my favorite list....! I couldn't put it down! I am sure that for most people 3 days to read a book is lots.. but I was surprised by myself! It is such a cliffhanger.. and so GOOD too! It is definitely fantasty.. so it is a must read for all you fantasy fanatics out there. I liked this one more than the "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" because it had more mysteries in it.. anyway I think. There were marvelous connections with the first book.. which you'd know what I mean if you have read both of them. Well, I would definitely suggest that you all read it... 9 times even.. hehe. Thanks!
Rating: 
Summary: Some plot holes, but otherwise a fine book
Review: 'Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets' is the second book in the seven part series of stories concerning a young wizard (Potter), and his life at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns about his heritage, and continues to grow into a decent young man of magic. He is once again accompanied by his best friends, Ron and Hermione, and all the familiar wizard professors are back to scold the students for "breaking the rules". The story is very much a mystery, as someone (or something) has re-opened the dreaded Chamber of Secrets, and evil is afoot. It's up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione to get to the bottom of things and uncover the culprit, before Hogwarts is closed forever. Though it may be unfair to do so, I can't help but compare this book to the first in the series, 'The Sorcerer's Stone'. I was somewhat sedate concerning the array of characters in this book, compared to the last one. Perhaps that is because most of the characters were returning ones, and the ones who *were* new were usually bad guys (or creatures). The mystery kept me intrigued until the rather convoluted revelation at the end, which explained too much for its own good. Upon the book's end, looking back, there were some parts of the plot which didn't quite make as much sense as they should, and even some characters (and scenes) which seemed unneccessary. All that said, the story was still *very* enthralling, was written well, and had me captivated from beginning to end. I love the world which J.K. Rowling has created, and look forward to visiting it again. We should have more writers as talented as her.
Rating: 
Summary: I was a bit disappointed by this book. . .
Review: . . .as it seemed to be virtually identical to the first story.
There is an unpleasant (and silly) adventure with the Dursleys. Again. There is a difficulty at the train station. Again. There is a difficulty with the Defense Against the Black Arts professor. Again. There is an adventure in the Forbidden Forest. Again. There are difficulties with bullies -- the same bullies. Again. There is a final showdown with the evil wizard Voldemart in one of his many guises. Again. Add to that some nagging "continuity gaps" between "Chamber of Secrets" and "Sorcerer's Stone" and one is left with a profound feeling of "I think I've read this before." As a homeschooling parent who felt he needed to be informed about the "Harry Potter" mania prior to expressing an opinion (see my review of "Sorcerer's Stone") I still retain the same mixed feelings about this series as I did after reading just the first book. But I am less convinced that "Harry Potter" represents authentic "fairy-story" fantasy and more convinced that the truly creative reader will be put off by this installment. I do intend to continue reading the series. I hope I do not continue to be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: 4 and a half stars..okay fine....4and 3/4???!!!
Review: ... "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" was not a perfect ten. I enjoyed the follys of the first book a bit more, but I must say...I am utterly hooked. I think having seen the Harry Potter movie even made reading this second chapter of his school years even more enjoyable. The movie gives us mental images to play with while we adventure through Harry Potter's world. All the old favorite characters are still there...Hermione, Ron, Harry, the professors, and Hagrid (my favorite big guy). In book 2 poor Harry is still surviving the horrors of the Dursley's home...but magic and adventure soon come to the rescue, only to "land" our favorite boy in a most difficult and frustrating school year. In this book secrets are unlocked. We discover some amazing secrets from the past of our favorite characters and Hogwarts itself. I adored this book. The 4 and a half stars are given because I felt the ending of this book was O.K...not phenomenal like the last. As always a Harry Potter novel keeps you on the edge of your seat, but the ending seemed a bit rushed and lazy to me. However, perhaps I should give the book 4 and 3/4 stars since the other 99.9% quantity of the book is amazing. I can't wait for the next Quidditch match! The adrenaline of catching the Golden Snitch gives me goosebumps! Onward Harry Potter!
Rating:
Summary: I've read all the bad reviews...
Review: ... and let me tell you some things about them: for the people that say that HP always needs somobody's elses help to get rescued, from this book on this happens less and less; for the person who says that children may think it's ok to break the rules becuase HP always does it, maybe she could be right, but I would say it's a perfect oportunity to get close you your children and explain that they can always come to you when they are in trouble, nowadays kids need to trust their parents, (I'm going to say something that happens in the book now), if Harry has told Dumbledore what was hapenning and asked him for help he wouldn't have broken any rules, of course there wouldn't have been any story either. After saying that, now I can tell you that this book is easy to read, has a great adventure in it, will have you in suspense all the way to the end when you will find out that the least you were expecting to happen does. In a few words is one of the best fantasy novel books I've read in my life and they keep getting better. You just can't deprive yourself and/or your children of it, you'll have a lot of fun reading it(them) and if you do the same thing I did (buy all four of them toguether) is very likely you'll read them in less than a couple of weeks as I did.
Rating:
Summary: Increasingly darker...
Review: ...and better!! Coming fast on the heels of the first Harry Potter adventure, this second tome is more rounder, introducing new characters and new, darker situations for Harry to overcome. In this book we are introduced to Dobby the house-elf, Lucius Malfoy, Ginny and Mr. Weasley, and the incomparable Gilderoy Lockhart. All these characters (with the exception of Lockhart) are now vital parts of the Potter stories' tapestry with their own important roles.
This book is substantially darker than the first book, with much more dangerous situations. The Whomping Willow may be whimsical to some, but it's the first situation where Harry could be seriously hurt, if not killed. The diary is a dangerous prop, and the subplot of Ginny being possessed by Voldemort is no laughing matter. Harry gets seriously hurt in this book: his elbow is broken during a Quidditch match and through a mistake, his bones are removed. The climax in the chamber of secrets is highly exciting, and Harry is again almost killed at the hands of the Basilisk.
This second book showcased Rowling's intentions to write a serious series where she doesn't rewrite the same story twice, lest seven times. Harry and the kids gets older in the books, maturing with their age and handling their problems with ease, whether it's with homework or with saving the wizarding world from evil. Another winning read.
Rating:
Summary: Rowling does it again.
Review: ...Another well done book. I bought this Monday morning and was done before bed that night. I learned my lesson with all the lost sleep last time. Ms. Rowling is truly an imaginitive author and yet she has the ability to let you see her imagination, something too many writers lack. Her stories are smooth and flowing and always keep you guessing until the end. She has the ability to tie everything up nicely in the conclusion. The only part that seemed ackward was the very beginning. The short "rewriting" of a previous book in a series has always been a pet peeve of mine...Aside from that, this book is flawless. I hope she will be an encouragement to other children's authors to write a great and commanding story.
Rating:
Summary: Once Again...
Review: ...i am drawn into a world of majesty and magic, leaving the Muggle existance behind with something akin to joy. Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets is every bit as enjoyable, mysterious, fast paced and well plotted as the firt novel was, if not even moreso, and the action/adventure quotient is stepped up a few notches. In this book, death is mentioned as though it may actually occur, and again, Harry, Ron and Hermoine come into their own as shining examples of what truely great characterization is. We learn here that Harry is a lot more in touch with his mysterious past than even he thought, that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named takes a back seat this time around to a far more sinister being, that Hagrid isn't quite what he seems, he and his dark past,and that in the end, selflessness and faith in onesself can win through all kinds of hardship and terror. What can i really say to do this book justice? The story is pumped up, the villians are even mopre grotesque and heinous, and the backstory is brought to the forefront of the tale once agin. We meet interesting characters like Prof. Lockheart, Dobby the house elf, the King of Arachnids, and somethin called The Basilisk. Ginny Weasly joins the other infamous Weaslys at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore once again shines as the quentisential headmaster, along with his pet phoenix and an air of precognitive knowhow. I read the entire second half of the novel in one whole day, and while that isnt anything uncommon for me, as i am a voracious reader, this still says a lot about Rowling's attention to detail and pacing, how she can keep anyone glued to her tale, and without becoming boring or insulting. Everything she puts into her story has a meaning, from ghosts to certain properties to attitudes and motivations, to pasts and futures. Pick this book up, though only after reading the first novel, Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone. A perfect pick up to the first novel, starting its own story, but also managing to continue the awe inspiring winding road that is Harry Potter, alongside Hermoine, Ron, George and Fred, Ginny, Dumbledore, Mcgonnigal, Snape, Flitwich, Mayfoy and of course, Hagrid. You will not be displeased. Onward to the next part in this tale!!!! I start tonight.
Hawksmoor..From The Bleed
All Things Serve The Beam
Rating:
Summary: Harry himself is a bit of a duffer....
Review: ...I beleive that, perhaps, he is meant to do stupid things sometimes so that you feel superior (not unlike Dr. Watson from Doyle's famed stories). The books are excellently written, however. Some of the most delightful characters are Hagrid, Hermione, the Weasley twins, Prof. McGonagall, Prof. Dumbledore, Prof. Flitwick, and above all Prof. Snape. They are obviously all exaggerated versions of people that Rowling once knew. No one could make up someone like Snape.
Rating:
Summary: The Critics Don't Lie...
Review: ...Well, perhaps they CAN be wrong sometimes, but not in this case. I'd never even *heard* of Harry Potter, but was passing a favorite bookstore and saw it in the window. Having grown up on C.S. Lewis, Lloyd Alexander, and such novelists, I saw the cover and was instantly drawn in. I was certainly NOT disappointed! Rowling has a way of transcending the barrier between children's fiction and adult fiction. I'm 39 years of age, and an engineer, and I read The Wall Street Journal, but I also highly recommend the Harry Potter series. Even if you don't read them in order, which is how I've done it, you won't be disappointed. Rowling's imagination and wit have no bounds!
|
