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sarahp85's review against another edition
3.0
I had such high hopes for this one. I love the little princess and I love the secret garden so a mash up seemed like an amazing idea.
It still is, but the result is not in this book I think... it is light, somewhat fluffy and an easy read but it also very much confused me as I kept thinking of the original characters and how a lot just didn't work for me. Also, I was a bit disappointed with how it all ended
It still is, but the result is not in this book I think... it is light, somewhat fluffy and an easy read but it also very much confused me as I kept thinking of the original characters and how a lot just didn't work for me. Also, I was a bit disappointed with how it all ended
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
The English adult classics are not really my thing. I'm currently trying to get through a readable version of Pride and Prejudice and so far I'm simply bored. However, I do love the Children's classics, despite their issues. And both the Secret Garden and A Little Princess are among my favorites of all time! They are the perfect blend of a heartwarming story mixed with some might-be-magic. So, when two of my favorite authors announced this retelling of both stories I knew I had to have it!
What I love about this book is that you can see the love and respect for the source material quite clearly. Almost all the beautiful and important elements of the original tales are also present in this version of the tales. Some a little more prominent than others and some in a slightly different form, but still. Therefore reading this tale almost feels like falling in love with my two favorite classics all over again!
However, since this book is written here and now, with the morals of here and now, the political and cultural issues of its time are now much more clearly addressed and shown. The authors quite clearly did whatever they could to also show us the ugly sides of those times, especially when it comes to people with a not completely white heritage, and how incredibly vulnerable people were for abuse. Not always pretty, but very much needed.
And despite the changes and despite the added critique on how people were treated and how countries dealt with political issues, the characters are still who they're supposed to be. Mary Lennox is still very much Mary Lennox, speaking her mind and doing what she thinks is best for the world and its people. And Sara is still in every possible way a princess, even though people treat her horribly at times. The third musketeer, Cedric, is from a story I haven't read yet. It's not on the wishlist!
What I love about this book is that you can see the love and respect for the source material quite clearly. Almost all the beautiful and important elements of the original tales are also present in this version of the tales. Some a little more prominent than others and some in a slightly different form, but still. Therefore reading this tale almost feels like falling in love with my two favorite classics all over again!
However, since this book is written here and now, with the morals of here and now, the political and cultural issues of its time are now much more clearly addressed and shown. The authors quite clearly did whatever they could to also show us the ugly sides of those times, especially when it comes to people with a not completely white heritage, and how incredibly vulnerable people were for abuse. Not always pretty, but very much needed.
And despite the changes and despite the added critique on how people were treated and how countries dealt with political issues, the characters are still who they're supposed to be. Mary Lennox is still very much Mary Lennox, speaking her mind and doing what she thinks is best for the world and its people. And Sara is still in every possible way a princess, even though people treat her horribly at times. The third musketeer, Cedric, is from a story I haven't read yet. It's not on the wishlist!
chemistress's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.75
camiclarkbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-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
“A Secret Princess” is really the perfect updated blending of “The Secret Garden” and “A Little Princess.” It managed to capture the feel of the two classics, as well as work in some references to other beloved children’s classics, in a way more suited for modern audiences.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Bullying, and Death of parent
nbranca628's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
rosieaufait's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
4.5
cosmetic_wave's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
inscribedinklings's review against another edition
4.0
A Secret Princess by Margaret Stohl and Melissa De La Cruz
baptismbyvire's review against another edition
5.0
A lovely combination of two beloved classics. This novel was an easy peasy read.
alongreader's review against another edition
4.0
A Little Princess and The Secret Garden are two of my favourite children's classics, so I was really excited to read this. Sadly, my proof copy has a formatting error where some letters are missing, meaning I constantly had to stop and decipher what I was reading; I couldn't get swept away in the words and story.
And I really wanted to get swept away. The language is amazing, exactly as Burnett would have written. Mary and Sara are her two most famous creations, while Cedric, here, is a mixture of Little Lord Fauntleroy, and Colin Craven, Mary's cousin. Cedric has the Fauntleroy title and wealth, Colin's backstory and health as well as his servants, and a couple of extraneous siblings who don't really feature. Lots of the secondary characters from both Princess and Garden feature, although lots are left out as well - there's no Ermengarde or Lottie, because Mary and Cedric fill the spots as Sara's friends. Lavinia is still there, and Miss Minchin is more openly cruel and angry this time around.
It's not all perfect. The book opens with a flashback to Mary's childhood in India, jumps ahead ten years to a scene in the seminary for no reason other than to show that the three characters are friends and that Minchin dislikes the two girls, then goes backwards to Sara's arrival at the seminary and jumps forward smaller amounts to cover all the important bits of the friendship. That one isolated scene didn't need to be there. Besides that, a few threads are dropped as we go through; Becky's storyline stops dead with no resolution, and Cousin Craven vanishes with no further mentions as well.
However, almost everything brought up during this story has a resolution and an ending. I loved watching everything come together at the end. The language is fantastic and I will definitely be looking out for the companion novel Jo & Laurie as well. This is an amazing retelling of some of my favourite books. Maybe you'd like to do Heidi next, ladies? I'd love to see what you made of it!
And I really wanted to get swept away. The language is amazing, exactly as Burnett would have written. Mary and Sara are her two most famous creations, while Cedric, here, is a mixture of Little Lord Fauntleroy, and Colin Craven, Mary's cousin. Cedric has the Fauntleroy title and wealth, Colin's backstory and health as well as his servants, and a couple of extraneous siblings who don't really feature. Lots of the secondary characters from both Princess and Garden feature, although lots are left out as well - there's no Ermengarde or Lottie, because Mary and Cedric fill the spots as Sara's friends. Lavinia is still there, and Miss Minchin is more openly cruel and angry this time around.
It's not all perfect. The book opens with a flashback to Mary's childhood in India, jumps ahead ten years to a scene in the seminary for no reason other than to show that the three characters are friends and that Minchin dislikes the two girls, then goes backwards to Sara's arrival at the seminary and jumps forward smaller amounts to cover all the important bits of the friendship. That one isolated scene didn't need to be there. Besides that, a few threads are dropped as we go through; Becky's storyline stops dead with no resolution, and Cousin Craven vanishes with no further mentions as well.
However, almost everything brought up during this story has a resolution and an ending. I loved watching everything come together at the end. The language is fantastic and I will definitely be looking out for the companion novel Jo & Laurie as well. This is an amazing retelling of some of my favourite books. Maybe you'd like to do Heidi next, ladies? I'd love to see what you made of it!