A review by miagw962
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Two things cannot be in one place.
Where, you tend a rose, my lad,
A thistle cannot grow.

Have loved this story since I was little because I used to religiously watch the 1993 film adaptation. That movie REALLY captured this book. Granted, I haven't watched the movie in a while so I'm hoping it still holds up as much as this gorgeous book does. Can't really explain the warm, cosy, lovely vibes I got from every moment of this. Of course, Mary is initially a spoiled and annoying little girl but I think we were all like that at some point - and she grows out of it when she makes new friends! Dickon is now one of my favourite literary characters because he is just the sweetest little king and I love that both Mary and Colin are in awe of him at any given moment, even the adults are (Colin's doctor says of course Dickon can push Colin outside in his wheelchair, I would trust that lad with a newborn baby) - they say he has magic and is an angel but Dickon doesn't know that, he just goes about his day. What a pure and kind-hearted soul! Every time he did something I was just so teary eyed. This one conversation with Mary and Dickon where she asks 'do you like me?' genuinely made me cry. And of course eveyrthing about Colin and his arc is just so ahhhh! These kids deserve the world. Just such a beautiful book. There's nothing too fancy going on with the plot but it still manages to encapsulate this feeling of love and life. JUST LOVE IT.
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