This was a beautiful and gorgeous re-telling. The illustrations were wonderful, and my 9 year. old daughter breezed right through it. I loved that the illustrator kept to the classic tale, while still introducing bits like Dickon and Martha's mother. This version did not dwell too much on the tragic deaths Mary's parents or Colin's mother, but still managed to convey the children's loneliness.

It is a perfect introduction to the classic, and the illustrations remind me of Madleine. I cannot wait to purchase the hardcover to keep as a part of our home library.

ARC given for honest review --The Secret Garden by Mariah Marsden, Hanna Luechtefeld. #TheSecretGarden #NetGalley

This is a lovely graphic novel version of the classic children's novel. A great way to bring a classic back to life and make it more interesting to the younger crowd.

I loved the overall color scheme of the book--lots of muted pastels, soft and watercolor feeling.

The story was paced well and had enough of the original for the story to come across more or less the same. Appreciated Mariah Marsden deciding to skip over the colonizing portion of the book as it tried to put the British in a better light than they should have been.

Def would recommend.

This is a graphic novelization of the book The Secret Garden. I have read the original book, and felt this version with its beautiful but simplistic illustrations, conveyed much of the story. Mary is a spoiled orphaned and is sent back to England to live with an uncle. She discovers a secret garden and a sickly spoiled cousin name Colin. Together with Dickon, the brother of a housemaid, they play and recover the garden. A lot of details are missing so this will never substitute for reading the original novel. It is unclear why Colin is sick or the theme of magic in the garden. I see this book as a way to introduce children to classical books. It would be a good addition to the shelves of my elementary school library. I appreciate the authors explanation at the end explaining her changes and that she includes a glossary. Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for a temporary ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was the perfect little book to get me into the magical spring mood ✿

It had been ages since I last read the original version of this story and somehow had forgotten all about how amazing it was! With this graphic novelization, the story is “updated” with a more politically sensitive approach -which I both appreciated and admired how it was handled- while also being a lot more simple. There are also some facts about the story and the author in the end, along with a nice little glossary, which were both informative and adorable on par with the story.

The illustrations deserve a round of applause just by itself because they are gorgeous! I admit I have a soft spot for more “circular” and “soft” types of illustrations with a limited colour palette so this was like a dream. I especially loved the frowning faces of Mary throughout the beginning :D

A great read for anyone who is looking for that warm and fuzzy feeling of magic and hope *:･ﾟ✧

I really loved this graphic novel adaptation! The art was so beautiful and each page really made me fall back in love with this childhood favorite of mine!

For lovers of classic re-imaginations or those trying to get young readers into classics, this interpretation of The Secret Garden is a great fit. The color palette and illustration style efficiently portrays the whimsical tones of the original novel in the graphic novel format. The pacing felt a little quick, but besides that I cannot stress how much I enjoyed the artistic vision of this version! The flow of the panels was beautiful and easy to follow. I can definitely see myself recommending this version to parents who are looking to get their young reader into more classic literature and to help them bridge that gap.

The Secret Garden in graphic novel form?! Yes please! I loved how this stayed true to the original story. The artwork & colors were also stunning.

It was very short and sweet, and at times seemed a little choppy. Nonetheless, it brought back so much nostalgia!

I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

I loved this story when I was a child a d being able to read this comic with my daughter was special.
I loved the illustration, so beautiful. And my daughter loved how it was easy to read. O also loved how it stuck to the actually story and nothing extra was added.

I definitely buying her a copy of this graphic novel when it’s in stores

(More review to come later).
What a charming graphic novel adaption of the beloved story. I loved the beautiful tones of the illustrations. I was captivated.
For you Secret Garden lovers, you’ll notice elements of the original story are not in the comic and other sections are rearranged from the original order. If you’re a purist, you may find this comic a let down, however if you go in with an open mind, you may find it enjoyable.
But those who have read her adaption of Anne of Green Gabled graphic novel won’t be surprised with the Feng shui, as she has done this with her previous graphic novel.


Thank you NetGalley! This made my day and I enjoyed it so much and have every intention to show this to my daughters(after we read the novel first).

I reviewed a copy made available by the publisher via Netgalley - Thank you very much for that!

The book starts directly with Mary's trip to England, with which the makers of the graphic novel omit the racist beginning around the setting in colonial India - there is even a statement about it in the graphic novel, which is exemplary but also the least publishers could do.

I find the illustrations a little bleak as far as the colors are dull, overall the depiction of the humans in it are not really my taste either since they look more comic-ish, but the illustrations of the secret garden are incredibly beautiful and would really bring the story more into life with stronger and more vibrant colors.


The graphic novel is very child-friendly both in terms of text and illustrations, there is not too much complicated dialogue and children would be able to follow this story well.

It‘s a 3/5 stars for me

Mariah Marsden, previously adapted Anne of Green Gables, so I was excited to be given a chance to read the graphic novel adaptation of The Secret Garden!

While the Secret Garden doesn't hold quite the same place in my heart. It's a story I know well from my childhood.
I always felt it was dark and quite melancholy, with small sparks of happiness, lightheartedness, and overall light shining down on characters growing into themselves, instead of the roles they've felt assigned.
It's wonderful to see the character growth and lessons translated well in this adaptation.

Plus, you know nature was the real star of this show and did they shine! Especially through the soft artwork that literally sparkled at times.

Easy read for a single sitting, just under 200 pages. Felt myself wanting more.

** Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley, providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. **

This was a wonderful rendition of one of my favourite classics. The artwork fit perfectly with the tone of the book, adding something beautiful to this, at times, dark novel. I found this pacing somewhat rushed at points, and think this graphic novel could have been a lot longer with more character details included. Overall, this was a beautiful novel with exquisite artwork that was extremely complimentary to an absolute classic!

The storyline and the graphics are pretty cute. Most of the panels are scenes and greenery Delhi have compels well with the story since it’s about a secret garden. The ending is really nice as well. Totally would recommend kids to read this.

The cover does not give the beauty of this book justice, literally the cover is amazing but the art inside the book is so captivating and cute i love it.

I never read the original story to this but i did see the movie, i mean i own it on VHS! I feel that anyone would love to read this but the most that will get out of it would be the older generation.

The message this story gives in general is great for any age and the garden is the BEST part.

This was such a beautiful story, I'm so glad he didn't die!
And the illustrations were splendid!
One of the best graphic novels I have ever read!

I was a Secret Garden fan as a kid, and must have read it at least fifty times in my life, so I was a bit apprehensive about how it would translate to a graphic novel format. I am happy to report that those concerns were unnecessary, because the illustrative style of this book perfectly matches the tone and evocative emotions of the original work. The emptiness of the moors, the magic of growing things, the hurt and sourness of Mary, the torment of Colin, and the magic of Dickon are captured with loving detail and a clear eye in these pages. The atmospheric sense of the manor is alive on every page, and I almost expected it to hear an ASMR manor+moor soundtrack and see some foggy wisps to cross the page as I was reading. I would happily buy this for a young fan of graphic novel classics, probably over age 7 or 8, and I would also pick it up for adults who experienced the magic of the secret garden in childhood.

I will also note that my memory is that the original secret garden has some hurtful stereotypes and narratives that were a product of its time, but those things seem to be updated with compassion in this version. Colin's disability, for example, is not presented so much as a negative problem to be cured or erased, as it is part of his broader perspective and identity. I was glad to see this subject handled with some tenderness. It is tough to update a classic and keep the important stuff while bringing contemporary thinking about marginalized identities, but I think this is a thoughtful example of how to do that.


I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel has a more simple art style, especially the faces and this gives it more of a cute vibe. I loved the landscape and full-page illustrations though.
I think this has a younger target demographic, the story seemed simplified, it's quite the quick read, and it left me wanting more. It was missing the emotional impact for me.
I really appreciated the information about the author and the time period at the back of the graphic novel.
Overall a cute and quick read, but left me wanting to read the original novel.

I admit I've never read the original "The Secret Garden." I did watch a couple of scenes from 1993 movie, just in case it might count. The graphic novel here is a modernish adaption and while I am unable to tell you if it stays true to the original story (the author admits to having deliberately omitted some parts), I can say with absolute certainty that it is very easy to read and the illustrations are wonderful. Sometimes, there isn't any dialogue at all on a couple of pages, but those pages are the prettiest. Although it might be meant for children, I'm sure adults will enjoy it too.

This is a decent adaptation of The Secret Garden that will delight another generation of children. The adaptor has chose to remove the parts of the book set in India, concentrating on after Mary arrives at Misselthwaithe Manor. That removes the problematic views of the British rule of India in that time period. Through the pictures and story, you can feel the magic of the Secret Garden, and this is a great way to introduce readers to the world. Muted colors gives the book an antique feel, and the pictures will appeal to everyone both young and old.

*4.5/5

You know the story of a little spoiled, yet lonely girl, Mary, who after spending all of her life in India, leaves to stay with her uncle, following the death of her parents. And if you don't, here's what happens next: she moves in to her uncle's mansion, where she befriends one of the servant girls, Martha, the gardener, Dickon who is Martha's brother and eventually meets her cousin Colin, a sick kid who is equally spoiled and lonely. She also falls in love with the mansion's secret garden, which used to belong to Colin's mother and after her death, her uncle kept it locked, leaving it to die.

But Mary is determined to keep it alive and restore it to its former glory, which she does along with her friends.
As the story progresses, we see Mary opening up to the people around her and becoming more independed and happier. In a sense tho, all of the characters go though changes and help each other grow, especially the three kids of the story (Mary, Colin and Dickon)

This graphic novel is a great adaptation and a nice way to be introduced to the story, in case you have not read the original. Personally speaking, I am one of the people who fall into this category, since I have yet to read the original and don't know if my thoughts on this one will apply to that too. But, I have read some other short adaptations of the story, watched a cartoon adaptation as a kid and I also think I remember having watched parts of the 1993 movie as well, so I knew what to expect.

I really liked the tone this was written in, it is very easy to read (took me less than an hour, I love that for me ❤️) it is very easy to connect to the characters and the artwork was fantastic! I also loved how in between scenes there were little flashbacks of Mary's life in India. They definitely help you understand and sympathise with her.

My only complain, is that this should be a little bigger. Because I would love to see more scenes of the main characters interacting with each other, and I would love to know some of them better. But yeah, other than that, this was a positive reading experience.