Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

19 reviews

emy33321's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Death

akane_shio's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Ableism, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Sexism, and Terminal illness

thatchickengirl23's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Chronic illness, Grief, and Death of parent

melodyramirez's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The book starts with awful characters but then it is beautifully hopeful. Theres a religious motif that I didn’t hate because it felt like more of  hopeful than religious 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, Death, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Child death

tallulahreads_stuff's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

As a child I watched the film multiple times, and only just recently decided to read the book aswell 

It’s a very heartwarming story, I loved seeing the characters progression and the progression of the garden. It’s probably one of my favourite books, I’d recommend it everyone!

A part of the book I found to be so beautiful:

One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live for ever and ever and ever. One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender, solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands alone and throws one's head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvel-lous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange, unchanging majesty of the rising of the sun - which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. One knows it then for a moment or so. And one knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries. Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark-blue at night with millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in someone's eyes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Death of parent, Body shaming, Ableism, and Death

Minor: Racism and Racial slurs

emilia_thereader's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Death

woodenrust's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Ableism, and Racism

Moderate: Colonisation, Chronic illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Physical abuse, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Cultural appropriation, and Death

Abundant racism throughout the book, and a child is presumed to be disabled and spoken of in a manner as if he's less than human because of this assumption. Also, adults in the household actively work to convince this child that he's severely sick and is going to die young, which caused him to develop some mental issues around believing he's going to die and becomes a hypochondriac. Parental death is mentioned throughout but in no great detail.

a_bloom's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a reread from my Childhood and it made me realize why I loved this book so much. While the beginning has some questionable language about class and race (as to be expected of an older book) it's message is beautiful. Reading at different ages and phases in life reveals extra messages and the beautiful complexity of these characters stuck in a partially unknown time of our modern day... Yet the events and lessons and feelings and conversations doesn't feel that outdated besides the language shift.
I adore the characters and the magic they bring to the story. I adore the descriptions of nature and growing friendship. I adore the hope in the impossible and the magical. I adore a feel good story in the midst of everyday tragedy. No wonder I would read this year after year growing up... It was beautiful and gave me hope. Very few books actually make me emotional to the point of crying, but if I'd taken the time to read it straight in one sitting I probably would have. 
If you don't know if you'd like classics or think they're too hard or boring then I BEG YOU TO READ THE SECRET GARDEN. Because at first it is a cruel indifference that quickly turns to kindness. God I love this book and hope that everyone gets the chance to read it. Devour it. And let it sit within your soul as you grow. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Ableism, Body shaming, Grief, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Mental illness

Minor: Slavery, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

yrlaevelyn's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Ableism, Colonisation, and Racism

Moderate: Chronic illness, Abandonment, Body shaming, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness

Minor: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Slavery, Body shaming, and Confinement

livelaughomo's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, and Ableism

Moderate: Death of parent and Racism

Minor: Death