Scan barcode
ljg765's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Colonisation and Racism
Product of its time.melodyramirez's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, Death, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Child death
astrangewind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Death of parent, Racism, and Colonisation
wormariwood's review against another edition
- 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
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.jadew2000's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Racism, Slavery, and Colonisation
takarakei's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
2.5
Definitely have to take into consideration when it was written because there are some racist stereotypes particularly of Indians (the MC comes from living in British colonized India and moves back to England). I then found out that the author
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, and Racism
Moderate: Colonisation, Death of parent, and Racial slurs
Minor: Confinement and Animal death
a_bloom's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
nanc_282's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Ableism, Colonisation, Chronic illness, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Classism
maeverose's review against another edition
I’m logging this as a dnf because I heavily skimmed the last seven chapters and don’t feel like I can fairly count it as read.
I want parents who plan on reading this to their kids to read this review please. You’re absolutely allowed to read this to your kids if you want, but if you do, you need to have a conversation with them about how some of the themes in this book are wrong and offensive. Especially if you’re white or able bodied. (This review is by a white disabled person).
I loved the 1993 movie growing up and wanted to read the book for that reason, but wow this book was painful to read. Not only is it incredibly slow and repetitive but it’s full of racism and ableism. With classics I always go in prepared for problematic things so I wasn’t surprised that those things were in there, especially since the movie is very ableist as well. But it was so bad in the book.
The racism
I found it problematic that it opens up with a cholera outbreak in India, followed by some other comments about Mary always getting sick from having grown up in India. To me this implies the author thinks India is a dirty place full of sickness. Mary physically abused the enslaved Indians who cared for her when she was mad and treated them as if their sole purpose in life was to serve British settlers. Mary says at least once that Indians aren’t human, they’re servants. This is never corrected in the book at any point, by other characters or the narrative. Even after she learns to be nice she never seems to change that belief, unless I missed it. It’s kind of just dropped. There are also several racial slurs used casually throughout the book.
The ableism
I have scoliosis so it was both hilarious and annoying anytime Colin freaked out about feeling a lump in his back and cried over becoming a ‘hunchback’. He acted like it was the worst possible fate anyone could have. Which I’m sure was intentional because he’s a very dramatic kid, but it was still clearly coming from an ableist place. At one point they straight up say kids are better of dead than bedridden from illness or disability. And the icing on the cake is the scene where Ben Weatherstaff sees Colin outside and refers to him as crippled, then Colin and Mary are all offended that he dare say such a thing, and Colin proceeds to stand up for the first time to prove he’s ‘not a cripple’, and it was supposed to be this heartfelt, groundbreaking moment… Imagine how that feels for wheelchair users to read? It shows that able bodied people see disabled people as miserable and undesirable. (I re-watched the movie after reading and this scene is in the movie too). There was also a whole message about ‘willing yourself to get better’ and essentially saying that if you’re disabled all you gave to do is go outside and stop being disabled actually. Just try harder. There was absolutely no point to Colin’s whole storyline of being ‘fake sick’ and getting better. The overall message of the book is to be a nice person and you’ll make friends that way. He could’ve just been either able bodied, or better yet, actually disabled and never magically ‘cured’, while still learning to be nice and getting his happy ending.
I understand if you have sentimental attachment to the story, I still have an attachment to the movie even if it’s also very ableist. But it’s important to acknowledge these things, especially if you’re reading or watching it with kids. Personally it shocks me when I see people reviewing this book without pointing that stuff out. Lots of white able bodied people seem to be desensitized to these things, which is very concerning to me.
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Ableism, Body shaming, Colonisation, and Racial slurs
orchidlilly's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Xenophobia, Chronic illness, Medical content, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Ableism, and Body shaming
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Confinement
Minor: Colonisation