The Secret Garden was one of my favorite books as a child, although as an adult I now recognize the racist aspects of it. After reading that the graphic novel removed the parts of the story that take place in India, I was curious to see how it would compare to the original.

The art style of this book is fairly simple. It was easy to see the way Mary changed over the course of the book just by looking at her expressions. Even from the beginning, her face completely changed when she was curious about something, showing that she will be able to change from being grumpy all the time. Her “angry/grumpy” face was almost extreme to the point of comical, but I understand the intention to make her expressions very different depending on how she was feeling. I do wish that a book about gardens, spring, colors, flowers, etc had had more vibrant and colorful artwork, at least in the secret garden itself.

I try to think of adaptions from two points of view - how does it compare to the original and how does it hold up on its own, regardless of the original? When considering the first question, this does feel like a simplified version of the story. Some aspects were left out with no explanation, such as Mr. Craven having a hunched back; due to this, the idea of Colin possibly having a hunched back was never brought up, either. “Magic,” as far as I can remember, was pretty explicitly tied to Christianity/God in the original book; in this, it’s more of a general spirituality and more related to the “magic” of the environment and things growing. Personally, I like the change, but it’s worth noting.

Held apart from the original, I did enjoy this book. There were a couple parts that couple potentially be confusing to readers who don’t know the source material - as far as I could tell, there’s no real reason given why everyone thinks Colin is sick and going to die. Also, because so much of Mary's backstory was removed, we never understand why she's so ill-tempered - there's no information about how spoiled she was, how her parents ignored her, etc. I also didn’t think the book was as moving as the original, but that might just be because I’m not the target age for it anymore!

The real question, though, is is this really a book that needed an adaption? The book acknowledges that the original didn’t “do justice to the history of British oppression in India” and that they changed the story to account for this. I realize this is a classic that many people read in childhood and still love, but… why not choose a book that didn’t need these changes? Why continue to promote an author who held racist beliefs and choosing source material that makes these beliefs clear? I love that books are being adapted into graphic novels and that kids who may otherwise have never heard these stories will get to enjoy them in a medium they may be more drawn to. But there are so many stories out there that don’t promote colonialism, racism, etc that would make excellent graphic novels. That being said, I think the author absolutely made the right choice to remove these aspects from the adaption, although, as I mentioned, it created some confusion in the plot of the book.

This was a charm adaptation of the original story. It intentionally leaves out the British occupation of India (explained in the well thought of author's note) while keeping the heart of the story true. You cheer for Mary as she grows her garden and becomes a better person for it. There is not enough character development, but there. is just enough to get the gist of the characters and might invite interest in the original text. There's also a glossary of words that I'm sure younger readers will find useful)

Full disclosure, I do not like the "original" The Secret Garden. I read it for the first time earlier this year and thus have no fond childhood memories attached to it, and I know I'm in the minority there, but I guess it puts things into perspective when I say I quite enjoyed this.

First off, the things I don't like from the actual book, the racism, colonialism, Mary and Colin being utterly absurdly awful, you know, the works, are addressed at the end of this one, as well as the reasons as to why they chose to remove those things from this adaptation. I really liked that, because it's not actually a different story, but with the original fresh in mind it was almost jarring to read the same story and it was so different, but in a good way?

Anyway, it really is just what it says on the tin: a graphic novel adaptation of The Secret Garden. At times more art than words (and what art, the illustrations are super soft and gentle and the colours are just.. yes) it's a great supplement to the original and I could imagine it would be great in a classroom for kids of all ages.

Secret Garden is a treasured story from my childhood. This graphic novel edition of the story will make a lovely addition to any fan of Frances Hodgson Burnett.

(I will update the review closer to publication date).

I'd like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley!

I loved this so much. The author’s note was wonderful and addressed some of the problematic elements of the original novel and gave backstory on the author, Frances Hodgson Burnett.

The color palette of Hanna Luechtfeld’s artwork is soft and springy, and compliments the atmosphere of the novel and the storytelling of the graphic novel. I love the way Mariah Marsden decided to retell this novel and amplify the nature and magic and love in it. I think this is a great way to revisit this classic but also a wonderful way to share the story with younger readers as well!

I received an eARC copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For the first time ever reading The Secret Garden, I am so happy that I stumbled upon this delightful graphic adaptation; I have thoroughly enjoyed this lovely read, and I've felt loved while reading it.

The Secret Garden is a story of a young orphan, Mary, who was sent out to live with her uncle in a mansion on the dreary moors. She seems immediately drawn to them and ready to explore her surroundings, seeing the moors being somewhat off-limits to her and her movement around the property. In the beginning, Mary seems very cheeky, perhaps even rude at times, but things take a better turn when she meets her new unique friends. There is a robin, a pretty little bird that brings Mary joy when chirping. She meets a young boy with a mobility impairment, Mary's cousin Colin, who finds pleasure, warmth, and love when Mary visits him for a talk. Not to forget Dickon, a boy that understands the language of animals and plants, and helps Mary learn about the secret garden, how to care about the flowers, animals, and how to melt her uncle's heart.

Mary, as the main protagonist, grew with each sentence, panel, situation, and page. I loved how her directness found its way into people's hearts. Her words and actions moved others to change themselves for the better; her uncle and Colin became welcoming and appreciative of Mary's efforts while at the same time absorbing the new surroundings with their hearts and eyes open for new experiences.

While reading about the original novel, the synopsis and the reviews, I realised that some elements from the original story were omitted in this graphic adaptation. However, I think this took away nothing from the story presented here to us, the readers, as we focus on Mary and her experiences with new friends and a new secret place nobody had the right to enjoy for such a long time. Skipping the part that "doesn't do justice to the history of British oppression in colonial India" mentioned in the writer's note at the end of the book was a great and creative move; highly appreciated by me.

The art style looks so endearing and somewhat nostalgic. I wished to be a child again so that I could, perhaps, enjoy this graphic translation of one of the classic works of literature more. I loved the colourful settings and the intricate detailing of each panel, bringing spirits of secrets and magic, family closeness, and healing into the story.

The new and fresh perspective this nostalgic, whimsical, emotional graphic novel brings will be pure joy for all lovers of the original The Secret Garden.

Loved this story as a child and it was so fun to walk down memory lane with this graphic novel. I appreciated how true to the original story this was and the illustrations were beautifully done! Definitely recommend this one for other graphic novel lovers who enjoy a good classic read too!

What an absolutely delightful read! I enjoyed it throughouly! Can't wait to pick a physical copy of it when it releases!!

5/5 Amazing, very nostalgic!

I loved this book! I feel as though it was very healing and would leave most readers feeling very happy! I recommended this to every level reader who thinks magic is interesting!

The story is about secrets, magic, family, and the healing properties nature brings to people. I loved the main character at first site, her grumpiness is so cute! The characters are so well developed and each have different personalities, which I often feel children's stories lack.. My only complaint is that I feel the story progression towards the end was a bit fast but this is a graphic novel so I kind of expect that.

I have pretty bad anxiety and have been stressing about my college work and this story almost completely took my stress away! This read left me feeling so clam and comforted and I really hope anyone and everyone will take the time to read it! I can't wait to see if this will have a physical copy I can collect and will definitely be checking out more of the authors works.

I read this for free on Netgalley in return for an honest review..

As someone who read The Secret Garden when I was much younger and know that there are certainly problematic elements to the original story (which is purely attributed to the time in which it was written) this was a good example which contained the basic and main plot while shedding those elements. As a good introduction to the story and the overall journey, I felt it was pretty good. The art isn't as vibrant as I personally would like with a story featuring a garden, but that's a me thing. I did really enjoy the whimsy in the drawings of flowers and animals, plus the noticeable changes in Mary as she grew over the story.

I really enjoyed the art and look of this book as much as I enjoyed reading it! I love this push to make classics graphic novels- what an amazing way to discover books all over again!

Hopefully this will encourage more kids (and adults) to pick up classic literature, and to enjoy the immense talent it takes to make graphic novels. I absolutely love this book and cannot wait to get a hard copy for my son.

What a charming graphic novel! I recently read The Secret Garden for the first time -- this was a wonderful way to interpret this classic. I really like the art style as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read the Secret Garden many years ago, and I don't remember much of the story. I decided to read this to refresh my memory and experience the story in a new format. It did not disappoint. It helped me remember the story and it is a fast read. Sometimes things were a bit too fast for me, but it was enjoyable all the way.


The art is gorgeous, to me the sceneries and colors were very beautiful. Don't hesitate to give it a try if you have read the book or would like to know this story.

I was given the graphic novel for free for an honest review.

The story was cute and I loved how Mary started to explore her surroundings.
Sometimes you have to be pushed to try new things to find out they are not as bad as they seem.

This is a quick read for people who loved the original story. It is easy to follow and the graphics were very cute.

I loved the illustrations and the information provided at the end of the book about the moors and the author.

However I felt I needed to read the original book to really understand the story.

Very fast paced and read it in about 15 minutes!

I had a great time reading this graphic novel. I actually never read the original novel but am now quite motivated to do so.

The art stile was great. I previously loved the Anne of Green Gables graphic novel which was also adapted by Mariah Marsden so I was quite comfortable going into this one - knowing I love her way of adapting a childrens classic into a graphic novel.

The story itself is very heartwarming, cute and has a lot of moral lessons as would be expected.
I think the afterword was very important and valuable because it set the book and its original author (Frances Hodgson Burnett) into a more honest, historical context.

All in all I would definitely recommend this book and am excited to see what we will get next from Mariah Marsden.

An abridged retelling of a classic story! I've always loved A Secret Garden and this version certainly does it justice by featuring all the key moments of the story accompanied by the sweetest artwork.

Mary Lennox is a spoiled little girl who lost her parents and moved in with her uncle. In the dreary moors, she finds a unique group of friends (including a robin) and, through her Secret Garden, finds healing for the entire household. A beautiful story that you never forget!

It's great to see a graphic novel adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s tale. I felt that there were important details missing and also felt that it was rushed at the same time. The illustrations are nice but the dark colours brings the mood down. A good book otherwise.

5/5 !!!!! I have never read the Secret Garden and let me tell you i LOVE the story, and the drawings were just immaculate! They fit the story and the vibe perfectly! I recommend it to everyone who can read :) and if you can't just ask someone to read it to you :)

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing

I read the The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett first when I was 11 years old. On it's own, it is a beautiful book with elaborate descriptions of the surroundings. The graphic novel, the art, only enhanced the experience of this beautiful and heartwarming story, with all the cottagecore aesthetics. I highly recommend this graphic novel to everyone in need of a reminder of how magic exists in nature.