Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (1999, Audio Cassette)

In the second book of the series, Harry eagerly returns to Hogwarts and his friends. But the school is shocked as cats, students and ghosts become petrified. Teachers nervously explain to their students how similar attacks happened years ago. The attacks back then ended when Hagrid was forced to part with his familiar, a giant spider, and was forbidden to ever use magic again. Unfortunately, a student died before Hagrid was brought to "justice". If a student dies this time, the school will certainly close.

When Ginny, Ron's sister, comes up missing, the Ministry finally acts and takes Hagrid to Azkaban Prison. Ron, Hermione and Harry don't believe it is him, and they set off to clear his name and rescue Jinny before it is too late.

I believe anyone who enjoyed The Sorcerer's Stone will also enjoy Chamber of Secrets and for the same reasons. The only thing that changed is the mystery that has to be solved. It is otherwise the same people doing the same things in the same setting. I don't fault Rowling for this. Hogwarts is an overwhelming place, there are lots of secrets that are yet to be revealed even now that the seventh book is complete. To leave the school grounds during the second book would have certainly given the reader a sense of missing something. The same could be said for the characters. They were so charming and fresh that the reader won't grow tired of them after only two books. The time for them to grow up comes all too quickly.

This is the first time JK really begins to prepare the reader for the mega plot that is the whole series. She introduces items and themes that will grow in importance later on. Some of them include learning to rely on themselves instead of adults (thanks to the vain Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher), the introduction of a horcrux (the diary of Tom Riddle), the Womping Willow, Aragog the Giant Spider and the Ministry's habit of trying to look like they are doing something instead of actually doing anything (arresting Hagrid on circumstantial evidence). All these and more will have special meaning in later books, but for right now they do just fine as part of the stand alone story.

The Chamber of Secrets is a true stand-alone story. A reader can enjoy it without reading any other book in the series. I think JK Rowling's greatest genius is shown by being able to introduce items that are interesting enough in their original context, yet have even greater significance later on.

John Holland-author of The Necklace of Terrersylvanous