"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Albus Dumbledore
Such a wise wizard.
You know how sometimes when"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Albus Dumbledore
Such a wise wizard.
You know how sometimes when you read the first in a series and it turns out so much better than you originally anticipated, it makes you a little apprehensive when starting the sequel? Well, I felt that way before starting this, but I can definitely say that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is another fabulous installment in the rightfully beloved Harry Potter series! And while I will admit to not loving it quite as much as its predecessor, I still enjoyed it a great deal. I think the reason for my not liking it as much can be mostly credited to the introduction of a new character, Professor Lockhart. Lockhart is an annoyingly pretentious wizard who is completely full of himself, and the majority of his teachings were based on his own life and his supposed brushes with death that he escaped only because of his "heroism" and great knowledge of the magic arts. (view spoiler)[Riiiiiiiiight. (hide spoiler)] In a summary, I didn't find the story involving Lockhart quite as interesting as Harry's realization of his true abilities and the escapades of his first year at Hogwarts.
But HP II undoubtedly still has plenty of hilarious moments and magical wonders - not to mention the lovely cast of characters - to more than compensate for this particular installment's slightly lacking plot. Hence the five stars. :)
Very clever Ms. Rowling, very clever indeed. (hide spoiler)]
FAVORITE QUOTE: "I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly. "It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," said Harry. "I'd like to see you try it."
I'm going to keep this brief since there isn't much to say that hasn't already been said. *clears throat* I think the reason I waited so long to read tI'm going to keep this brief since there isn't much to say that hasn't already been said. *clears throat* I think the reason I waited so long to read this series is because I just couldn't imagine myself enjoying reading about an eleven-year-old boy and his adventures at a school of wizardry. I thought it would be too juvenile for my taste. I was wrong, of course. I can honestly say that I loved every minute of this. It's a spectacular little romp with funny, courageous, and endearing characters that you can't help but love. It has talking chess pieces, singing hats, a giant three-headed dog named Fluffy, a hilarious giant with a dragon fetish, a master wizard that's just a little bit crazy, mail carrier owls, goblins running a bank, unicorns, centaurs(!), trolls . . . and probably much more that I'm forgetting. And then there's the lead characters: Hermione, the young scholar who starts out prim and up-tight but soon becomes a true friend; Ron, the boy who has little money but who has an abundance of family and loyalty to his friends to make up for it; and then there's Harry, the boy who starts out sleeping in a closet and ends up being a hero. Harry is kind to those that deserve it, fearless when it counts the most, and wonderfully intelligent. What's not to love?
In regards to the ending: (view spoiler)[I feel silly saying this about a middle grade novel, but I didn't suspect Quirrell a bit! If there were hints that he was the true culprit and not Snape, I obviously missed them. (hide spoiler)]
FAVORITE QUOTE: "But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."
". . . Without knowledge that life can be different, there can be no desire to change it."
In the land of Quill, all thirteen-year-olds are sent to". . . Without knowledge that life can be different, there can be no desire to change it."
In the land of Quill, all thirteen-year-olds are sent to the annual Purge where they will be divided into Wanted and Unwanted. For twin brothers Alex and Aaron, this day is especially daunting as they are both now thirteen and reluctant to separate. Or at least Alex is and would like to believe his brother reciprocates this sentiment. On the day of the Purge Alex is unsurprisingly categorized as Unwanted and his brother Aaron is chosen as a Wanted. Feeling scared and helpless, Alex goes off to meet his death along with his fellow Unwanteds. But when he arrives at the Death Farmer's doorstep, he is surprised to find a land where magic and creativity thrive. Animated origami dragons; giant talking tortoises; and a montrous, winged cheetah named Simber are just a few of the many astonishing creatures that can be found in Artime. Still, when the Unwanteds arrive in Artime they expect to be executed momentarily. But instead all of the children are quickly assured by Mr. Today that this shall not be their fate. Known to the people of Quill as the "Death Farmer," Mr. Today has spent many years perfecting Artime and making it a safe haven for the Unwanteds. As you can imagine, this revelation is as surprising as it is a saving grace for the kids. But if any members of the Quilitary found out of their rebellion, it would mean a sure death for all involved. This, of course, means that neither Alex nor any of the other Unwanteds are allowed to contact anyone � friends, relatives, authorities � in Quill. Although sad at the prospect of never seeing his brother again, with his friends supporting him, Alex moves into Artime and begins a whole new life.
Kirkus Reviews hails The Unwanteds as "the Hunger Games meets Harry Potter." After having read it myself, I must agree. This is not to say that I believe McMann is attempting to subtly copy the two bestselling series as a means to gain more attention for her fledgling series. No, I believe that she has � whether knowingly or not, I won't speculate � taken some of the very best aspects of each series and used them as the underpinning for a new middle-grade dystopian fantasy series that will surely gain many fans.
The Unwanteds turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise for me. Despite my having enjoyed some of McMann's earlier works, I somehow felt that her voyage into the dystopian genre wouldn't turn out to my liking, thus making my expectations low going in. Luckily for me, I was wrong. Albeit lacking a little in the personality department, the characters are fresh and full of potential. I can see them growing and coming into themselves as the series progresses. For being so young, Lani � Alex's new friend/potential love interest � hasn't had an easy life. Having her father, Quill's mayor, pull strings to get her into the Purge at the premature age of twelve in order to be rid of her (view spoiler)[(or so she believes) (hide spoiler)] has left her with only feelings of resentment and hatred for her father. But when she begins learning the art of magic � and the magic of art � she soon excels and finds new friends and a sense of belonging in Artime. With the head of an alligator and the appendages of an octopus, Alex's art teacher, Ms. Octavia, is rather startling at first. But soon she teaches him all the tricks of the artist's trade. In Artime's school, Alex learns everything from how to use paper clips as a potentially lethal weapon to turning flowers into music boxes.
I'll freely admit that, had The Unwanteds been more dystopian than fantasy, I'd probably not have enjoyed it nearly as much. The majority of the story is set in the beautiful and magical world of Artime, and so it doesn't have the bleak and depressing atmosphere of some dystopias. It is for these reasons that I'll be eagerly awaiting the release of its sequel due out next September, Island of Silence. 3.5 stars
P.S. If you're interested in The Unwanteds, may I suggest the audio verison? I believe Simon Jones's narrative adds an extra-special something to the story....more
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