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raechsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
4.5
A magical, realistic retelling of The Secret Garden. A Pakistani and Bangladeshi girl is sent from family member to family member after the death of her parents. Finally, she finds herself in the US with a family who knew them, yet there seems to be secrets and rules. I enjoyed the author's interpretation of the classic.
rebeshelton's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
mbohan's review
2.0
The short verse chapters between sections were lovely and certainly Newbery-worthy. The rest of the book was just not exciting to me. The representation is surely valuable and it is always validating to see a female character who is not 100% happy, bubbly, and upbeat. But the book just dragged for me. Nothing really happened besides some social interactions and work on the garden, so I can't imagine many kids being engaged by the plot. I also don't think the allegory of the garden/Maria and the rest of the characters was very effective because we barely know anything about the rest of the characters in the novel to care about their supposed development by the end of the book.
I haven't read The Secret Garden, and maybe if I had, I would have a different opinion.
I haven't read The Secret Garden, and maybe if I had, I would have a different opinion.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
A tender and lyrical middle grade novel retelling of The secret garden featuring a young Muslim girl from Pakistan who has tragically lost her parents. Full of the healing power of plants, new friendships and South Asian culture, this was a great debut and a really well executed reimaging of a beloved classic. Great on audio narrated by Subhadra Newton. Highly recommended!
blogginboutbooks's review
4.0
It's been decades since I read THE SECRET GARDEN, so I don't know how closely this retelling sticks to the original. However, I can say that A BIT OF EARTH is a rich, moving, poetic tale about finding one's place in a complicated situation, family, and world.
Maria is a complex character with a strong voice. Even though she's more vulnerable than she seems, she's still confident in who she is. She's smart, capable, and a competent leader (if a reluctant one). With Pakistani/Bangladeshi roots, she's a proud Muslim Desi who loves her culture (noisy aunties and all), and wears a dupatta and prays regularly as a natural, normal part of her daily living. In spite of her best intentions to come off as otherwise, Maria is both sympathetic and likable. Her wry observations made me laugh. Her new friends are a likable bunch. It's fun to see them work together as a group, learning how to overcome various obstacles, natural and human, in order to make the garden into something beautiful. Speaking of, gardening isn't the most exciting subject (in my humble opinion, anyway), but there's enough other conflict going on between the Clayborns, Maria and Colin, Colin and his dad, etc. to keep the story moving along. Yes, the tale wraps up a little too tidily, but it also comes to a sweet, satisfying conclusion that felt right.
One thing I particularly liked about A BIT OF EARTH is its format. The story is totally narrated by Maria and is told mostly in prose, but there are alternating chapters written in free verse that add some nice variety. The tale also has just the barest touch of magical realism. Magical realism is hit-or-miss for me, so I really liked having only the teensiest hint of it to give the tale a whisper of magic.
A note on the audio: Subhadra Newton does a fantastic job reading A BIT OF EARTH. She makes the characters come alive in a way that feels authentic, not put-on. She varies them just enough to enhance the narration, but not so much that it is distracting or over-the-top. I'd definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by her.
Maria is a complex character with a strong voice. Even though she's more vulnerable than she seems, she's still confident in who she is. She's smart, capable, and a competent leader (if a reluctant one). With Pakistani/Bangladeshi roots, she's a proud Muslim Desi who loves her culture (noisy aunties and all), and wears a dupatta and prays regularly as a natural, normal part of her daily living. In spite of her best intentions to come off as otherwise, Maria is both sympathetic and likable. Her wry observations made me laugh. Her new friends are a likable bunch. It's fun to see them work together as a group, learning how to overcome various obstacles, natural and human, in order to make the garden into something beautiful. Speaking of, gardening isn't the most exciting subject (in my humble opinion, anyway), but there's enough other conflict going on between the Clayborns, Maria and Colin, Colin and his dad, etc. to keep the story moving along. Yes, the tale wraps up a little too tidily, but it also comes to a sweet, satisfying conclusion that felt right.
One thing I particularly liked about A BIT OF EARTH is its format. The story is totally narrated by Maria and is told mostly in prose, but there are alternating chapters written in free verse that add some nice variety. The tale also has just the barest touch of magical realism. Magical realism is hit-or-miss for me, so I really liked having only the teensiest hint of it to give the tale a whisper of magic.
A note on the audio: Subhadra Newton does a fantastic job reading A BIT OF EARTH. She makes the characters come alive in a way that feels authentic, not put-on. She varies them just enough to enhance the narration, but not so much that it is distracting or over-the-top. I'd definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by her.
kblejwas's review
hopeful
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? No
5.0
nsnyder22's review against another edition
5.0
All her life, Maria Latif has been passed from relative to relative due to her parents’ careers. When her parents both suddenly die, she is sent from Pakistan (the place of her birth) to America to live with her father’s old college roommate’s family. Maria is determined to hate her new temporary home so she will be sent back to Pakistan. That is, until she finds the garden. I really enjoyed this modern take on the classic, A Secret Garden, and found it fresh and very relevant for today. Even though Maria is prickly to others, Riazi does a great job of showing us her true self, which is stifled by abandonment and loss. Not only Maria, but every characters’ journey in Earth is portrayed realistically and with such life, I connected and celebrated with them all. Interspersed with poetry, A Bit of Earth is sure to please first-time and seasoned readers of this classic story of making a home where you find it.
theoglibrarianmom's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
catfish101's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.75
January 2024 YA book club selection. Little slow to get into, but I ended up liking it! Not really my genre/style, but this book is great for YAs. I wish I could make a garden...... indoor cats love destroying any and all plants. RIP