I received a free e-ARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Garden was one of my favourite classic stories growing up, so I was excited to read this graphic novel adaptation. I thought it stayed true to the spirit of the original work (although in a somewhat condensed format.) Some of the darker parts of the novel were glossed over, but a note was provided at the end about the colonisation of India, which I think is important to acknowledge.

I loved the art style, and it reminded me a lot of Madeline. I also liked how the colours were used to convey the atmosphere. Colin's room and Misslethwaite Manor, for example, were rendered in muted tones, and it contrasted with the brightness of The Garden when it was in full bloom.

I think this is a lovely adaptation, and certainly suitable for quite a young readership.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-ARC for an honest review.

I loved this graphic novel adaptation of The Secret Garden. I think that Mariah Masden did a great job making this classic into a graphic novel for all to enjoy. The Secret Garden has always been one of my favorites and it is great to see it come to live in art form. I loved the art style of the novel as well and it followed the story pretty well with a few changes here and there, but they were not major.

Classic story for all ages. I loved the illustrations. Story wise it brought back a lot of great memories but the beginning felt off. Like some parts were missing. The end felt more like the story I remember and fuller. All in all very cute and enjoyable.

I loved concept for this book and I think it will be a nice addition for any Secret Garden fans who already have the book. As a standalone, I don't know that it would work because it is quite simplified, it's a pared down version that would ideally word as a companion piece. The illustrations are sweet, but the colors are a bit opaque and muted. For this beloved favorite I visualized something more lush and detailed.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ten-year-old Mary Lennox arrives at a secluded estate called the Misselthwaite Manor where her Uncle Craven lives on the Yorkshire moor. She’s shown to her room but she doesn’t like her new home even though the housekeeper Martha, has convinced her she’ll get used to it.

Martha tries to get Mary to do some chores in the house, but she can’t sew or knit 🧶. Mary, however, can read. Unfortunately the lady of the house, Mrs. Medlock keeps the library locked.

As she settles into her new home, Mary explores the estate grounds, makes friends with Dickon, a robin, and the gardener, Ben Weatherstaff. An interesting graphic novel. Would recommend.

Thank you to Mariah Marsden, Hanna Luechtefeld, NetGalley, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC of this book.

I really love this book! it feels very magical (the illustrations are VERY beautiful and helps to build the magical feels to the book)

I've never read secret garden before, so this is my first time reading about it. This book makes me want to read the original material now! That's great because reading classics has always been scary for me since the way it's written isn't very easy to read (English is not my first language). So this book makes it very accessible for people who are like me to read and discover it.

“The Secret Garden” is a classic children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett that I remembered enjoying when I was young, so I’m delighted to have discovered this children’s graphic novel adapted by Mariah Marsden and illustrated by Hanna Luechtefeld.

If you’ve read the novel before, you’ll be no stranger to the story of Mary Lennox, a 10-year-old girl who was taken in by a mostly-absent but well-to-do uncle after the death of her parents and placed in the care of his household staff. Having been spoilt by servants while her parents were still alive, the sullen and rude Mary finds herself trying to adapt to her new environment on the secluded estate. As she slowly comes out of her shell and befriends the maid, the maid’s brother, the gardener, and even a cute little robin, she discovers that the estate holds its own mysteries - strange wailing noises at night and tales of a secret locked-away garden. Alongside her explorations, she learns how friendship and kinship can cure even the loneliest of hearts.

This graphic novel is beautifully illustrated in full colour. I loved how Mary blossomed from a rude and sullen kid to a cheerful and happier person under the friendship of Martha the maid, followed by the rest of people she meets along the way. Her growth is evident by how she learnt to see from other people’s perspectives instead of just her own. The novel also touched on heavier issues like self-esteem which although might be a concept difficult for children to grasp, are presented in simple questions like “Do you like yourself?”.

I enjoyed reading the background of Frances Hodgson Burnett and the setting of the book at the end. I think this is a graphic novel that will appeal to young children, especially with the story simplified alongside such charming illustrations.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the e-ARC.

ahh this graphic novel brought so much nostalgia towards the story. i've never read the book, but seen the movie in middle school which was brilliant. the pictures in this book were so cute and adorable 😩 i thoroughly loved it!! xx

*3.5 stars

This book was incredibly beautiful, the illustrations were of course my absolute favorite part. I read original The Secret Garden many many years ago and found it just okay. I think the heart of the story, which was seen in this book is what I liked most about the story. In addition, I appreciated that the background in regards to Mary being a daughter of British colonizer's was left out. The reason was acknowledged in the back of the book mentioning how when Britain ruled India and the amount of oppression that Indian people went through could not be summed up in this story. (I also don't think it should be. I don't think that particular point in the book is important and the story very much stands on its own without it). I think this was the perfect media for this book to be published in and I did enjoy it quite a bit. The characters of course from the original The Secret Garden are pretty annoying in the beginning (a lot of privilege) but we do see them grow throughout the novel which I appreciate. I would actually recommend this over the original book.

An adorable comic to introduce your younger reader to this classic. The origin of all grumpy girls opens up to the world in style. The illustrations are gorgeously cute and the adaptation kept the whole spirit of the work. A very nice addition to any girl's bookshelf.

The Secret Garden is one of my all-time favorite books, up there with Anne of Green Gables. I wasn’t sure if a graphic novel version would stand up to the original classic, but this book was as charming and enchanting as the original. The beautiful drawings told this lovely story in such a simple and beautiful way. I definitely felt all the warm fuzzies I felt reading the original. I would 100% buy this book for my shelf of children’s literature for my own kids.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McNeel Publishing for a digital galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions stated are entirely my own. I have always loved the story of The Secret Garden and thought that this graphic novel did a good job of capturing it. The pictures were beautiful and the characters were easy to fall in love with. It is a beautiful story of found family and finding positivity in everything. The only thing I wish for is that it explained the backstories of the characters a bit more like in the book. It also didn't really explain about the death of the mother and the importance of her with the garden which is a key element in the story. All in all, I still think it was a good adaption and good for younger and older audiences.

Growing up I absolutely adored the Secret Garden. When I had the chance to read this via NetGalley I was very happy. This book is very colourful, and I can imagine a lot of kids reading this will enjoy finding the Secret Garden in this book. This book also includes an added glossary, which is handy for any terms or words one may not know.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ebook.

The Secret Garden is the second adaptation of a classic by Mariah Marsden that I read and I have to tell you that I fell in love with this book as I did with her Anne of Green Gables adaptation. What a delight this book was! I've always liked The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and this book really brings out the best things from the original - Mary's transformation over the book, the mysterious secret garden, Dickon - and it was all possible because of the style of illustration. Don't you just love those mini panels on all the pages?

I am going to buy this and all of Marsden's future adaptations (I really hope there will be more) for my daughter.

The secret garden was one of my favourite books growing up. I think it was one of the first ever chapters books I read. To see it as a graphic novel was so heartwarming and amazing. the art is absolutely incredible and a true masterpiece.

This graphic novel adaptation of The Secret Garden offers a familiar tale with simple art. As I began reading, the muted color palette stood out to me, and I wondered if they would become more vibrant and saturated as the story progressed, following the narrative. They did not, but the muted colors could have been due, in part, to original cmyk colors being displayed on a computer. This story may have been aided by more detailed art that focused more on the scenery and wonder of the garden, but overall, the simplicity of Hanna Luechtefeld's art served the story.

The additional materials at the back of the book (setting, glossary, short Frances Hodgson Burnett bio) provided necessary information for contemporary readers (especially about Brittish colonialization/oppression in India).

I received an e-arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

The Secret Garden will forever be one of my favorite children's books so when I saw this graphic novel version I needed to read it.

While the art style isn't something that I typically go for in graphic novels, I do feel that it still fit the book rather well. It gave me a sort of Madeline vibes in the art style and definitely made me feel a bit closer to the time frame this story takes place. The graphic novel is a great new way to enjoy the beautiful story of The Secret Garden and I loved the facts that were included at the end of the graphic novel. Overall a wonderful new imagining of a beloved classic children's book.

I loved this graphic novel depiction of The Secret Garden. I have yet to read the original work but have watched the movie countless times and this piece of art really captured all of the feelings the movie gives me. I think this is the perfect GN to start off Spring, it's so bright and full of greens and florals that I felt like I wanted to be in the book! I also think that this was the perfect length and depth for a children's GN, it covered all of the plot without hitting some of the darker parts too deeply that might have been hard visually for children. I also enjoyed the fact that the authors use the end of the book to talk about why they decided to not include pieces of the story and to ask questions and talk about the story and the plants within it! I think the style of the art and the colors perfectly captured the vibes of the original story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and, Andrews McMeel Publishing for my ARC!

I was granted eARC access to The Secret Garden graphic novel adaptation by Mariah Marsden and Hannah Luechtefeld through NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

This graphic novel adaptation is all the important beats and dialogue of the original classic children's tale trimmed down to fit into 192 illustrated pages. This is a great option for younger readers, less confident readers, and less interested readers who still want or need to read The Secret Garden. It's both more entertaining and more accessible than reading the original text without losing anything that made the original what it is.

The art style reminds me of Madeline, but with epically expressive and hilarious facial expressions and a livelier colour palette, and I love it!

I am not familiar with this classic but reading this book was so much fun. The illustrations is absolutely beautiful especially all of the flowers and the garden. This is such a fun and memorable read about surrounding by good company and the gorgeous surrounding of making the secret garden alive again. I would recommend other readers to read this graphic novel for those familiar and unfamiliar with this tale.