Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Peter Hunt

10 reviews

hedyharper's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

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

nanc_282's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• 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

I revisited this story because I wanted a quick read and I remembered how it drew inspiration from the Bronte novels. However, I’d forgotten it’s affirmation about the powers of nature and the healing in mind and body spending time outdoors can bring. Though it is a children’s story, it is a complex and engaging narrative about parents abdicating responsibility and children finding healing in nature and in each other. It’s like a reverse version of the garden of Eden, though without a serpent. It reflects some of the attitudes of it’s time towards race, colonialism, and physical abilities.

There is a bittersweet element at the end when Colin says he will live forever but as a reader you know the First World War is only a few years away.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Racial slurs, and Colonisation

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Classism

jespinosam's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Grief, and Abandonment

orchidlilly's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Colonisation

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

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

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

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: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Racism and Death of parent

Minor: Death

quinn24's review against another edition

emotional relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Medical content, and Death of parent

Moderate: Body shaming and Misogyny

samvansam's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent

curatoriallyyours's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It's a classic for a reason! This book was an utter delight to read. I felt that the author got the level of tension just right - you never thought the protagonist might fail but the tension arose from the progression of her character and the way that others changed around her. It was hopeful and a joy to the end, although the events of the first few chapters before Mary comes to the manor in England are quite full on - this is a kid who has experienced some serious trauma! You also get the impression that she's younger than she is and it isn't until maybe two thirds of the way through the book that you discover she's ten. I'm so glad to have read this book and the 2011 edition I read is a truly beautiful paperback from the 'Penguin Threads' series, featuring exquisite textured cover artwork by Jillian Tamaki. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Chronic illness, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship

This book was first published in 1911 during the time of the British occupation of India. As such, the book talks about India as being exotic and Mary begins her life with Indian servants who she speaks quite rudely to and of. While the author doesn't outright challenge these social norms she does seem to be sympathetic and attempts to humanise the Indian servants in her own way rather than treating them as other, like Mary does. She is also critical of classism as it existed at the time and speaks very positively about the serving class in England, also gently rebuking the poor manners and lack of common sense of the rich.