Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Author: JK Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #2
Genre: Fantasy (Middle Grade)
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Harry Potter is a wizard. He is in his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Little does he know that this year will be just as eventful as the last … even getting there is an adventure in itself! The three firm friends, Harry, Ron and Hermione, are soon immersed in the daily round of Potions, Herbology, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Quidditch. But then horrible and mysterious things start happening. Harry keeps hearing strange voices, sinister and dark messages appear, and then Ron’s sister Ginny disappears….

There are a few minor spoilers in this review.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the book in which I learned to love the characters the most. Now that all the introductions are done, except for a few new characters, you start to see their true nature. The dynamic of these characters is such that without a single one of them, it’d throw off the story in some form or another.

There are the main three, of course. Hermione is a bossy know-it-all, but without her love for all things learning and her incredible logic and intellect, I don’t think Harry or Ron would’ve got nearly as far as they did in solving the mysteries of each novel. Nor would they have kept on top of their studies. Ron is the funny best friend. He keeps both Harry and Hermione grounded and can even put Hermione in her place when she’s being too bossy. Harry is the hero, but not just any hero. Although he’s very uncertain of himself, we find that he’s brave and has a good heart. He doesn’t want anything to happen to anyone. And, if there’s anything he can do about it, he’ll do it, even if he’s not the best wizard for the job.

Fred and George Weasley bring humor to the story and help us remember than even in the darkest of times, we can still enjoy ourselves and have fun. Neville, although accident-prone and the most unlikely to be a great wizard in the school, is fiercely loyal, friendly, and determined to prove that he’s just as good as everyone else.

Then there are the characters that we hate or don’t know what to think of yet. Draco Malfoy is annoying, pompous, and snobbish. He thinks he deserves everything and that everyone’s beneath him. But, without him, Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s Hogwarts life would be just too easy. Even though Snape is harsh and unfriendly to most students, there’s more to him than meets the eye. And, Lockhart … I forgot how annoying he is until I started reading his character again. But, like Ron, I’m almost sad to see him go in the end.

Apart from the characters is the actual story in Chamber of Secrets. The complexity amazes me. Having read the future books, I can see the foreshadowing Rowling does even from this point in the series. There are so many little clues here and there that tell you what’s going to happen.

“It is our choices, Harry, that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Albus Dumbledore

There are so many little things I love about this story. I love when Harry meets Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore’s phoenix, for the first time. I love reading about his uncertainty of whether Gryffindor is the right house for him. And, I love the interactions between him and Dobby.

The first time I read Chamber of Secrets in 2001, I figured out the mystery long before Harry, Ron, and Hermione did. But, I still remained on the edge of my seat, excited to see how and when they found out what everything meant and how to put a stop to it.

There’s so much more I can say about Chamber of Secrets, but I don’t think anyone wants to read all of it. Simply put, it’s a wonderfully, complex, rich story and makes me excited to continue on with Harry’s adventures in the next books.

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Author: JK Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #1
Genre: Fantasy (Middle Grade)
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Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy. He lives with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley, who make him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. Then Harry starts receiving mysterious letters and his life is changed forever. He is whisked away by a beetle-eyed giant of a man and enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The reason: Harry Potter is a wizard!

There are no spoilers in this review.

I’ve now had the chance to read both the UK and US editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. (I’ll refer to it as Sorcerer’s Stone from here on out because that’s what I’m used to.) While I love the cover art of the US edition more, reading the UK version was like reading an entirely new story. I loved every minute of it!

Some of you are probably wondering if the editions are really that different. The answer is no, and yes. No because it’s still the same story. I still knew what was going to happen. But, yes, because I got to read JK Rowling’s original words; the words she wrote, not the words “translated” for US readers. And, that was priceless!

When I first read Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001, I was transported to a wondrous, magical world. I was awed by Rowling’s ability to capture my attention and evoke a desire stronger than anything I had ever experienced to be a part of a world other than my own. Now, a little more than a decade later, I still feel that same magic, captivation, and desire as I reread this novel.

Rowling’s ability to foreshadow the events to come is amazing! Even with this read, I found foretelling of things that I hadn’t noticed before. Even if I didn’t know what happened in the other six books, her foreshadowing within the same novel is amazing. But, I think it’s a true testament of her ability to see the overarching foreshadowing she does throughout the entire series. Every time I encounter foreshadowing, I just smile and think, “Rowling, you genius!”

I love the little bit of humor Rowling brings into the story. The story is very intense. Many of the topics are not easy to discuss or even think about. But, the humor interwoven throughout the story helps lighten the way, making it easier to deal with the darker topics.

The characters are complex and endearing, even the ones you hate or can’t make up your mind about. I loved getting to know the main characters in Sorcerer’s Stone. Even though, as a reader, you’ve barely touched the surface of who they are, you learn to love them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s friendship is one to be jealous of, one to wish you were a part of. Not only do you wish you could share in their adventures, but you also wish to have a friendship as strong as theirs that can withstand anything that comes its way.

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.” Albus Dumbledore

Out of all the characters, Dumbledore is, by far, my favorite. In fact, he’s my favorite literary character of all time. We don’t often get to see him. He waits along the sidelines, allowing Harry and his friends to figure things out on their own. But, when he is around, you can be sure that Harry (and the reader) leave as better people. His wisdom, or I should say Rowling’s, is astounding. I’m always amazed at how profound these stories are because of Dumbledore.