REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K Rowling

The story of this book is considerably darker than the first one. The second year of our own main character, a skinny bespectacled boy named Harry Potter, can be said adventurous. The story began at number 4 Privet Drive as usual, where Harry spent his summer holiday with his aunt Petunia, uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley Dursley. The family never treated him as part of them—they even forgot Harry’s birthday! In short, it was the worst birthday Harry had ever had; pretending he didn’t exist, for goodness sake!

Harry was surprised by the appearance of a house-elf named Dobby who warned Harry of the danger and evil lurking at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, waiting for him. But Harry was adamant in going back to school so that Dobby was forced to do something drastic. He set aunt Petunia’s pudding on the guest with a hovering charm, and put the blame on Harry. Aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon were livid. They locked Harry in his room—he became a prisoner in his own home—complete with bars on the window and cat-flap on the door. Harry was helpless, he couldn’t magic himself out since he already received a warning from the Ministry of Magic due to the use of a hovering charm Dobby used on the pudding.

Ron Weasley and his twin brothers, Fred and George, came unannounced to Privet Drive to free Harry and brouht him to The Burrow, where Harry spent the remaining of his summer holiday. Suffice to say, it was the best summer holiday for Harry. Then, of course, knowing Harry, trouble found him just before he got to Hogwarts Express: the barrier to the platform 9 ¾ was closed! It meant Harry and Ron must find another way to get to Hogwarts, and what’s better than a flying car? Classic! I personally like this part a lot. I mean, flying cars? Come on, it is very magicy...hahahaaaa....

In Hogwarts—after the flying car fiasco, of course—somebody or something started attackig the students—even Filch’s cat Mrs. Norris and the Gryffindor tower’s ghost Nearly Headless Nick couldn’t escape the attack. The chamber of secrets has been opened again after fifty years. Who’s behind it? Everyone suspected Harry since he was known as a parselmouth after a dueling club.

They thought Harry was the ‘heir of Slytherin’. But how come? Harry was a Gryffindor after all...although the sorting hat originally wanted to put him in Slytherin...

And dont forget, Harry and friends’ adventure continued to the forbidden forest where Harry and Ron met Aragog the Acromantula, finding the truth about the ‘horror within’ the chamber of secrets, and the actual slaying the giant snake thing with a sword. Really medieval, heheheee *evil laugh*

This story is epic! Even after reading it several times, it still blew me away.

One of my favorite parts is when everybody suspected Harry as the heir of Slytherin just right after the dueling club, and Harry came to the library to find the Hufflepuffs were talking about him. I mean, Harry could have left after that but he chose to appear in front of them and said “Hello, I’m looking fo Justin Finch-Fletchley”. I couldn’t stop laughing the first time I read that part, and when I read it again, it still managed to crack me. It really showed another part of Harry we hardly see: the prankster! He was a son of a Marauder after all.

There was something in my mind though, while reading the book. Gilderoy Lockhart’s office was in the second floor (see the part when Harry got a detention with Lockhart), and when in a Deathday Party Hermione told Harry and Ron that Moaning Myrtle’s toilet was on the second floor. But, after the deathday party (the part when the trio were in the wrong place at the wrong time after Mrs. Norris’ attack), they found an attack outside Myrtle’s toilet (which was on the second floor according to Hermione earlier). But then Lockhart said his office was nearest because it was upstairs, which meant the third floor. So where the hell was Lockhart’s office actually? Second floor, or third floor? Was it a blooper?

Well, it doesn’t matter. I still love the book anyway.  I don’t care how many bloopers they are, my love for Harry Potter is blind, heheheee....

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This post is published to fulfill 3 reading Challenge:

1)Hotter Potter

2)Fantasy RC

3)Books in English RC

REVIEW: Believe by Victoria Alexander [Books in English RC#1]

I read this book as a part of my involvement in Books in English Reading Challenge, so I thing it goes without saying that I read the English version of this book.

Tessa St.James was not a believer. She was a 26 years old quasi professor in a University in the States. She taught Greek Mythology and planned on having a vacation to Greece in 3 weeks. But she never got the chance to have a vacation because she was thrown back through time and space to the Middle Ages, to the things that she believed were only myth and legends: Camelot.

Merlin the Wizard Extraordinaire and Counselor to Kings put Tessa on a quest with a Knight named Galahad (Lancelot's son) in a search for the Grail. Galahad was reluctant to have Tessa on his quest since never before a mere women went on a quest. Yet Tessa was adamant to prove that she was not a mere woman. They faced a dragon, Mordred, Merlin's wive Viviane, and their forbidden love. Could their love survive through time and space after Tessa went back to the 21st century?

I give 2,8 stars out of five! The story is light, and you can read it just for fun. It is not a story that you will find to be your most favorite of all time, but it is enough to give you pleasure. Although the idea of the story was great, but the story itself was lack of suspense and originality. It is too bad for a great plot to end with cliche.

This book has been translated to Bahasa Indonesia by Melody Violine, and published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama with the title Believe: Ksatria dari Masa Lalu. Here is the cover:

Personally, I like the Indonesian cover better since it shows a knight in a shinning armor, but yeah, that's probably just my bias preference as a girl :D

Here is the review I took from goodreads:

Sebagai gadis abad 21, Tessa St. James tidak memercayai keberadaan Arthur dan para Kesatria Meja Bundar. Baginya legenda Arthur tak lebih dari dongeng pengantar tidur...hingga ia ditarik melintasi waktu untuk menjalankan misi bersama Galahad.

Sebagai kesatria abad pertengahan, Galahad tak mau membawa wanita dalam misinya - meski wanita itu berasal dari negeri jauh dan berbeda dengan wanita mana pun yang pernah ditemuinya. Tapi Arthur dan Merlin telah menentukan segalanya dan Galahad pun harus tunduk. Dalam perjuangan mereka memecahkan teka-teki, membunuh naga, dan mengalahkan penyihir, Tessa membuktikan dirinya kepada sang kesatria. Galahad kemudian belajar memercayai Tessa dengan nyawanya, namun akankah ia memercayai Tessa dengan hatinya?

 So, enjoy reading this book, guys! ^_^