The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Graphic Retelling of The Secret Garden (Classic Graphic Remix, 2)

Mary Lennox lives an isolated life in Silicon Valley with workaholic parents; when they die in an accident, Mary is sent to live in New York with her Uncle Archie, who she has never met. And she continues not to meet him: instead, household staff and neighbors take care of her. Mary visits Central Park and museums, gets to know the bodega (and Ben and the bodega cat Robin), and makes friends with neighbor Dixon. When Mary discovers the existence of Uncle Archie's dead husband's rooftop garden, she searches for the key and enlists Dixon to help her bring it back to life. She also discovers her cousin Colin, who has a panic disorder and rarely goes out. Through Mary and Dixon's friendship, Colin becomes more confident, and wants to help show more with the garden. Mary (presumably) starts a social media account (The_Secret_Garden) to document their progress, and though they worry about Archie's reaction when he discovers what they've done, he surprises them.

A retelling both faithful and fresh.

Quotes

"I can't make myself feel something just because I'm supposed to." (Mary to Mrs. Medlock, 9)

"I want them to see how beautiful something can be if you care for it." (Mary, 200)

"People grieve in different ways....where we failed wasn't in how we processed our grief, but how we maybe weren't there for one another when we needed it." (Uncle Archie to Colin, 219)

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that people are surprisingly resilient. When it seems like everything is dead, buried, and cold things can still find a way to come to life. When the rain comes, it might set us back a bit, but ultimately, it helps us be stronger. In that way, life is like a garden. Things change with the seasons, for better and worse, but in the end, we can still grow. (246) show less

This retelling of Secret Garden is like a little love letter to New York City. I have never read Secret Garden, but I enjoyed this story and the modern elements. The talk about anxiety and panic disorders was great too, and the artwork was cute.
4.5

*I got this book for review*
I really adored this retelling. I have always loved the secret garden movie and i loved how this book twisted it so it was modern but also set in nyc. I also loved tackled both anxiety and depression, I loved how this book focused on trio of main characters and this book just put a smile on my face. I really also enjoyed the art style (My arc was not fully done) but the parts i saw is my favorite type of art style. It was such a great and quick read and such a fun one!! If you enjoyed the movie as a kid, def check this one out!

The Secret Garden is one of my lesser favorite classics (it has been ages since I have read it). BUT this beautiful graphic novel retelling has made me want to go back and read it once again!

It is all the elements of The Secret Garden as one knows it (orphaned girl goes to live with uncle, finds a mysterious garden that has been shut off for a reason, meets a hidden away cousin....) You know the rest. BUT it updates the story.

Set in NYC
Uncle has not been the same since the death of his husband
Cousin suffers from crippling panic attack
Girl doesn't know how to handle grief
Rooftop garden due to "urban" living

I HIGHLY recommend this book to audiences. It tackles the tough topics of grief and unseen mental struggles with aplomb! Also for show more this being a debut illustrator, I thought they did a particularly great job! show less

3.5/5 rounded down to 3 (GoodReads, get half-stars.)

This is definitely an interesting adaptation, but it fell flat for me in a few places. The characters didn't seem all that well-developed. One thing that majorly stuck in my craw was Martha pushing Mary, on her second day there, out of the house onto the streets of New York City alone with little more than "it's a grid!" As someone who has no sense of direction in the city and has been made fun of because "it's a grid!", this rankled me very badly. Made worse is when Martha worries about Mary being left alone in the house by herself not many pages later.

I like the updated setting and the intent, but for me, it wasn't the best execution.

*I got this book for review*
I really adored this retelling. I have always loved the secret garden movie and i loved how this book twisted it so it was modern but also set in nyc. I also loved tackled both anxiety and depression, I loved how this book focused on trio of main characters and this book just put a smile on my face. I really also enjoyed the art style (My arc was not fully done) but the parts i saw is my favorite type of art style. It was such a great and quick read and such a fun one!! If you enjoyed the movie as a kid, def check this one out!

This graphic novel takes place in New York where a girl turns a neglected garden into somewhere friendship and healing can take place. This is good for bringing up themes like self-reliance, nature, overcoming personal challenges. It can also be used to teach students about literary adaptations, character development and the way settings shape a story.