Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

30 reviews

katie0528's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

A classic children's story I never got to as a kid. It's toothache sweet about Mary who, after the death of her parents, is sent to live in the manor of her reclusive uncle. She finds his late wife's private garden and with the help of a local boy and her cousin who was raised to believe he was a half-step from death himself, turn restore the garden it into a private sancuary. It is a story of the power of friendship and play and positive thinking, but it gets quite mundane with the repetition of the "magic" of positive thinking in the second half.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent and Chronic illness

Minor: Racism and Colonisation

cristinareading's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring reflective slow-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Chronic illness

Moderate: Colonisation

place6o_ffct's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Confinement

Minor: Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Medical trauma, and Xenophobia

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

kriyon's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Ableism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Racial slurs

amytk's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Chronic illness

Minor: Toxic friendship

theneighborhoodbookwyrm's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Classism, Ableism, Cultural appropriation, Body shaming, Racial slurs, and Colonisation

ljg765's review against another edition

emotional hopeful fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation and Racism

Product of its time.

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

astrangewind'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

Being a classic, The Secret Garden initially repelled me. The word "classic" brings to mind inaccessible language, uninteresting plot, and tired characters. But not so here. This book is a comfort from start to finish. It's a story about healing and magic and that feeling of toiling in a garden and watching it come to life. I was in desperate need of a book that would make me cry happy tears, and I found it. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent, Racism, and Colonisation