Reviews

Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline

allie_schick's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

3.75

ch33rs_w1tch3s's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

soulsqueeze2511's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad slow-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

5.0

vortacist's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

4.25

tlaynejones's review

dark emotional slow-paced

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Death of parent, Confinement, Chronic illness, Classism, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Racism, and Grief

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit

lindsayofthewoods's review

hopeful inspiring sad tense 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

4.25

I loved this! Cherie Dimaline can do no wrong. Love how far Mary has come. Love the found family vibes. Is Jean my favourite character? Probably. Just wish it didn't all wrap up so quickly in the end. Also. the opening paragraph was brilliant:

"Mary Craven didn't think about death until the day it knocked politely  on her bedroom door and invited itself in. That, she decided soon after, was the perfect way to describe death - something that pretends to act on formalities like knocking but then, in the end, does exactly what it wants to do."

Anyone who has suffered from soul crushing grief knows these feels.

alicia_ann_reads's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.25

This was such a sweet story! A Sapphic Indigenous retelling of the Secret Garden! l'd say it's more middle grade than YA, especially considering the MCs have both been incredibly sheltered. Listened via audiobook and the narration helped keep the story going and the narrator did the different voices/ accents well which really helped.

hmfogel's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

If you like The Secret Garden, you’ll like this, as it follows the original pretty directly beat for beat. Extra points for taking place in Canada (I’m from Toronto and have spent a little time not too far from Georgian Bay), minus a few for not including the full final confrontation on the page (may not have been necessary but I wanted it anyway).

wisteriaearl's review against another edition

lighthearted 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

3.5

wearyoctopus's review

hopeful relaxing 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

3.75