Such a cute rendition of a classic, with beautiful illustrations all throughout the book. Thanks again to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for feedback.

If you’ve read the classic story, you’ll enjoy reading this graphic novel version that follows Mary all the way to Misselthwaite Manor, where you’ll meet some new friends and a secret just outside the manor! The adapter of this book is also the same person that adapted the “Anne of Green Gables” graphic novel, and Mariah Marsden does a fantastic job (again)! I just recently read the original story earlier this year, so seeing this copy on NetGalley made me excited for there to be a graphic novel version, so you bet I’ll be adding this one to my forever collection (and it releases on June 15th) 😊

An updated graphic novel version of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic novel. When I saw this on NetGalley, I couldn’t say no, as I loved this book when I was younger. This version stays true to the original story, for the most part, but I felt that lacked something. The magic maybe? The found the illustrations to be average at best, and, although, I read through it quickly, I was disappointed. Young readers may enjoy it.

The Secret Garden was one of my favourite classics when I was child. I enjoyed the book and movie growing up, and so I was very happy to read the graphic novel adaptation by Mariah Marsden and Hannah Luechtefeld. Thank you Andrew McMeels Publishing for the e-galley via NetGalley.

The graphic novel follows the original class as it was though with some storytelling changes that the author explains in the author’s note at the end. Mary Lennox’s upbringing in India with her colonialist parents are not explicitly discussed or delved into. Instead, the graphic novel focuses on the magic of the garden and the power of nature to change things for the better. For an adaptation of the original classic, I think that this was the right decision as there are definitely racist elements of the classic novel that would need to be re-evaluated by today’s readers. This graphic novel was an enjoyable and nostalgic return to a childhood classic and I think will connect with young readers today.

This was such a sweet adaptation of the original. I appreciated the author's note on why she left out certain aspects of the original book and loved the glossary in the back as well. I love the story of The Secret Garden and felt the illustrations did an amazing job of capturing the essence of the story.

This Francis Hodgson Burnett classic has been adapted into a fun graphic novel with all the essence of the original. After her parents pass away, Mary is sent to live on her Uncle Craven's manor, Misselthwait. There she makes friends with the servant, Martha, and her brother Dickon. It is suggested she play outside and soon discovers a locked-up secret garden on the grounds. But why is it locked up? And who belongs the terrible cries she keeps hearing in the middle of the night? The book has a nice biography of Burnett at the end with information about the places in the novel and a glossary to build vocabulary. Mariah Marsden and Hanna Luechtefeld did a wonderful job on this enchanting retelling!

This book is unique because it connects to history and also I love the artwork it's simple in terms of just about enough illustration, yet it carries the beauty which goes perfectly with the story. Also, the narration I give not too much so it's easy and quick to read. What I like about this story carries a wave of excitement and little mystery that keeps the readers engaged with the story. Overall I love this book I don't see any that need to be fixed.

This was essentially a retelling of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett without much of the India backstory that is in the original book. I thought it was a fun retelling though and I enjoyed reading it. I don’t think anything particular really stuck out to me in this book and since it was a pretty similar plot to the original, there wasn’t really anything new aside from it being in graphic novel format. The artwork was beautifully done though and the font was easy to read which was great! I think this would be a nice story to read to a child or even just a nice way to reminisce on favourite stories from your childhood. Reading this book made me want to rewatch the 1993 version of The Secret Garden. Oh and I also appreciated the authour’s note regarding Marsden’s choices on including or cutting out parts of the original story.

It is a beautiful book and full of expression.
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The story is adapted to fit the vignettes, but the essence of the story is found between the drawings and the use of different tones.
I liked how art served as a tool to express the different moments and feelings of history. As the flowers begin to bloom, the colors come alive and the book has that look of the story that have with every word.
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I think it is an ideal book for children although I enjoy it a lot as an adult, is a must have in all library
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Thanks to Andrew McNeel Publishing, for give me this beautiful book in exchange for my honest review

I absolutely adored this graphic novel adaptation of The Secret Garden. I loved the original book and story, and the gorgeous illustrations certainly add to it even more. That magical feeling of the garden was depicted beautifully.

Normally I don't enjoy graphic novels that have very little text, because I feel that part of the story is missing, but I didn't experience that here so much. It might be because I was familiar with the tale already of because I was pulled in by the beauty of the illustrations. I especially loved the pages that had all these little drawings to get a feel of the scene, so pretty! I could just pribt out these pages and hang them on my wall.

That being said, I do still recommend either reading the original book first or combining it with the graphic novel to experience the full impact of it.

This is a great retelling for a child more interested in graphic novels than regular novels or even classics. This retelling sums up all the best parts of The Secret Garden in an easy yet still magical way to read. The way it told the story in pictures held my interest and was beautiful. The backgrounds had more details than the characters but there was no problem with it. Some of the details of the classic story were glazed over but I'm not complaining because the core of the story is still there. I would recommend this to children wanting something new to read.

Years ago, I loved that story. Thanks to this comic book, I fell in love even more. It was wonderful to come back to this story years later in this version. While it wasn't 100% in the artist's style at first, in the end I think this style adds to the charm of the story.

One of my favorite childhood stories and movies. I liked this as a graphic novel but it felt a slight short and lacking for me, otherwise good read.

I just reviewed The Secret Garden by Mariah Marsden, Hanna Luechtefeld. #TheSecretGarden #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I think that this is a great graphic adaptation of this classic that would go great in any children's room. I loved the illustrations and the adaptation of the story. You can't really go wrong with this one!

A very sweet adaptation of the beloved novel. I appreciate the artwork and detail included I wish something new was brought to this version, something new to help it stand out compared to other versions of this work. But overall, it is a very nice little read with very pretty artwork. However, if you’re already very familiar with The Secret Garden there may not be as much for you here.

5 STARS
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This was such a fun fast and beautiful read that I received as an ARC from NetGalley.
It’s the book that makes you nostalgic because you’ve definitely seen the cartoon as a kid and waited the weekend to end to see a new episode every week, you fell in love with Dicken and appreciated Mary, you felt every time for Colin and your heart sprang up in joy when he took his first step into the garden.
Seeing all this in illustrations made me super emotional, especially that the illustrations were super beautiful and creative and well done.
The pace of this was super enjoyable, nothing super detailed for a graphic novel and not one important detail missed out on, it was super enjoyable and fun and well done.
I will definitely be purchasing this book and reading it to my kids.

This adaptation was short and sweet. I was missing the meat of the core plot lines and story of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic. It was very fluffy and that wasn’t always a good thing. I did like how the colour palette changed as the story progressed. It was a great tell on the different characters as the pages went on. I just wanted more of the original story to be a part of this graphic novel. Overall, I would recommend it to someone who is interested in Victorian literature but would like to start in an easier place.

I received a free arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

LOVE IT.
I SIMPLY LOVE IT.
AMAZING
The illustrations are good. The story MY GAWD.
Sending love from Mexico.

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

This is a re-imagining of the book “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. For me, this was a short, easy read and I really enjoyed the drawing style of this graphic novel. This book follows the same story line as the classic, so this is perfect for anyone who has an aversion to reading classic literature. I personally have never read the original book, so I decided to give this graphic novel a try in order to at least know the basics of the story.

I commend the author for leaving out Mary’s time in India before returning to England because, as she writes in the afterword, it doesn’t “do justice to the history British oppression in colonial India.” I like that the author was conscientious of the fact that times change and classics don’t need to be adapted word for word. She chose to be mindful of those who would be offended by the misrepresentation of historical events.

I believe that this book did a good job of telling the story in an accessible way. If you have never read “The Secret Garden” or are a fan of the original text, I think both parties will enjoy this adaptation.

The Secret Garden was a favorite of mine when I was younger, and the movie from 1993 is still a favorite. So, as soon as I saw that it was adapted into a graphic novel, I had to jump in and try to get an ARC.

I was a little nervous about a longer story being adapted into such a short version, but it did not disappoint. There are things that did not age well from the original novel and would do no good to the readers now. The authors knew exactly what should be left out, so thank you for that.

The art is absolutely adorable, and the way the flowers are drawn is stunning. I honestly didn't want it to end, because I still felt what I felt when I first read this story and first watched the movie.

The additions at the end of info about the original story, the original author and the graphic novel authors/illustrator were amazing! I learned things I didn't know, and it made my love for the story grow even more.

"Here's my scientific experiment. It's about magic. Not many people know about magic... But it's all around us."

Oh this was lovely. Subtle, evocative images alongside the honest dialogue of a few sad, lonely children. I found the drawings charming and beautiful and true. I especially loved the full-page images of the moors and any image with the gate framing the view.

I read with my 8 year old daughter. She enjoyed it. We had read Hodgson Burnett's original text this year, along with a couple retellings and watching the 2020 movie. My daughter, knowing the original story, found starting further along in the story to be lacking. She, at 8, said you missed watching the girl change.

I agree. I think one of the most wonderful parts was watching the child go through something so hard and deal with it honestly--she was a rude, sad girl with no one to love her. It's so much more powerful to watch her learn to love and to find such a rejuvenating, magical sanctuary.

My daughter said she'd definitely recommend the graphic novel to friends. But, she said, they should read the original first. Or at least the first part, so they understand the backstory of the main character. I agree. This graphic novel is a beautiful addition to the tradition of this story, but much of the depth will be lost for those who do not know the story.

I appreciated the dialogue in this version. It's honest, yet easy for a child to read.

My daughter also thought this version lacked some of the "magic." She said it "changed" in that the garden didn't heal the boy. I think this version can be read either way, which I find lovely. I appreciate when there are aspects of a story that are elusive and up for discussion. I do think she's onto something that it's missing some of the "magic." This version seems to showcase the beauty and serenity of the English countryside rather than the magical otherworldly-ness that can be found in this tale.

I do love how the boy is healed. My daughter has a chronic illness, so there is just something so powerful about someone with a health struggle that is healed. I think this is a story that is needed. Children need stories that are hard, stories where children lose parents or feel like they are unloved or have a chronic illness.

Overall, I found this to be a lovely graphic novel. Highly recommended.

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Images: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Text: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Interest Level: 3-11
-Younger children will adore the pages and pages of beautiful images.
-THE SECRET GARDEN has depth in the character arcs and in the struggles the children encounter, I believe it'd be of interest to children at least up to 11.

Reading Level: 5-11
-My daughter, 8, read it in one sitting of about 45 minutes to an hour.

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I will post a review to my Instagram closer to publication day.