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kim_j_dare's review against another edition
4.0
An intriguing modern-day retelling of [b:The Secret Garden|2998|The Secret Garden|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327873635s/2998.jpg|3186437] with wonderfully developed characters. I enjoyed parts of the story immensely, but there were several sections where the flow seemed choppy and didn't really transition well. While I don't see it as having Newbery poet tial, it certainly has appeal and will encourage readers unfamiliar with [b:The Secret Garden|2998|The Secret Garden|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327873635s/2998.jpg|3186437] to check out the original.
librarianlizreads's review against another edition
4.0
I greatly enjoyed this novel. The writing is clear, flows smoothly, and is an easy read. I am not entirely sure however that this fits well in the mystery genre. It seems to me that it is more in-line with a fantasy novel than a pure mystery. The mention of ghosts and island spirits took it into that realm for me. Yet there was the mystery of whether or not her uncle murdered his wife and that is indeed a mystery of unlawful action. Overall, the book was wonderful. The story allowed me to relate to Roo and to root for her finding her place in the world. It is a sentiment that is easily relatable for young adults, even elementary students. Her grief for her father tugs at your heart while her explicit desire to be away from people hides her implicit need for a few close connections. The happy ending gives the reader courage to face their own battles and solve their own family mysteries.
Librarian Note:
While this book does not lend to a lot of uses outside of suggested reading or perhaps earning a young adult book club slot, I do think it can serve at least one special use. The book heavily deals in the importance of plants in Phillip and his mother’s lives along with their importance to Roo herself. It would be an interesting community event to have young adults read this novel and then have a plant tending class where young adults could learn about plant care for their local area. A librarian could even follow-up this event with a “murder mystery” type event where patrons have to use the knowledge they learned about local plants to discover how they could have been used in a mystery that they are faced with. It would take some research on the part of the librarian and some additional fleshing out, but it could be a very fun night for plant lovers in the community and their children.
Librarian Note:
While this book does not lend to a lot of uses outside of suggested reading or perhaps earning a young adult book club slot, I do think it can serve at least one special use. The book heavily deals in the importance of plants in Phillip and his mother’s lives along with their importance to Roo herself. It would be an interesting community event to have young adults read this novel and then have a plant tending class where young adults could learn about plant care for their local area. A librarian could even follow-up this event with a “murder mystery” type event where patrons have to use the knowledge they learned about local plants to discover how they could have been used in a mystery that they are faced with. It would take some research on the part of the librarian and some additional fleshing out, but it could be a very fun night for plant lovers in the community and their children.
edshara's review against another edition
2.0
As far as retellings go, this wasn't terrible. The author stayed pretty close to the original. All the substitutions and additions she made, updated the story a bit but weren't overly drastic.
The characters were pretty generic and lacked any real depth. The Humming Room just didn't have the sorrow, magic and whimsy of Frances Hodgson Burnett's, The Secret Garden. Their wasn't really any emotional investment in the story either. Roo witnessed the murder of her parents, but the writing style didn't really convey the heartbreak. The same goes for the uncle and her cousin.
The garden itself seemed lovely and I did enjoy the fact that it was modeled after a particular country. Though, for this book being less than 200 pages, it wasn't really an easy read. I found myself having to reread passages while working hard to stay focused on the story. I also thought the ending was a bit abrupt. Their were a few things I think the author could have expanded upon to make her story unique, while still staying true to the original. This could have, in my opinion, been better. The fact that I liked the original is what helped me finish.
The characters were pretty generic and lacked any real depth. The Humming Room just didn't have the sorrow, magic and whimsy of Frances Hodgson Burnett's, The Secret Garden. Their wasn't really any emotional investment in the story either. Roo witnessed the murder of her parents, but the writing style didn't really convey the heartbreak. The same goes for the uncle and her cousin.
The garden itself seemed lovely and I did enjoy the fact that it was modeled after a particular country. Though, for this book being less than 200 pages, it wasn't really an easy read. I found myself having to reread passages while working hard to stay focused on the story. I also thought the ending was a bit abrupt. Their were a few things I think the author could have expanded upon to make her story unique, while still staying true to the original. This could have, in my opinion, been better. The fact that I liked the original is what helped me finish.
gmamartha's review against another edition
3.0
An orphan girl meets up with an unknown uncle, wild river boy, grief-ridden cousin, and a secret garden... meshed with the river's stories.
brianals's review against another edition
3.0
I actually rate this book 3.5 stars because the end just left me pining for more.
thestoryowl's review against another edition
3.0
This definitely felt like the secret garden, if just didn't have the same character depth that made me love the secret garden.
hayleybeale's review against another edition
3.0
I have really liked Ellen Potter's books, particularly Slob, and this has some of the same elements - dead parents and coming to terms with that and slightly sinister/supernatural elements. However, I was disappointed by this modern take on The Secret Garden - the first half as Roo-Mary Lennox settles in and meets Jack-Dickon works well, but the revitalization of the garden and Phillip-Colin with it, seems really abrupt and, before I knew it, the book had finished. One caveat - this was the first ebook I've read and that definitely did not help the experience.
alliehwilliams's review against another edition
4.0
I was so excited to read this book when I saw Ellen Potter had a new one coming out. I was disappointed for a few minutes when I realized it wasn't a new Hardscrabble book, but that was only until I saw that this book was inspired by The Secret Garden. It always strikes me as ambitious and ballsy to take on one of the major classics of children's literature, give it a fresh spin and bring it into a modern day setting. There's always the chance it could go all kinds of wrong, in all kinds of ways.
But...it's *Ellen Potter* so of course the result is a very readable, beautiful, haunting story that I rushed through in one sitting. Roo is a prickly character, with a lot of the contrariness that made Mary so interesting to read in Burnett's book. My only complaint is that this is a short book and I was hoping for/expecting something a little closer to the length of The Kneebone Boy. I really wanted to spend more time on Cough Rock! The ending left me with some unanswered questions about a main character, but not in a frustrating way...just in the way that makes you think about the book for days after.
I would recommend The Humming Room to fans of Potter and Frances Hodgson Burnett and anyone who loves modern twists on classic tales.
But...it's *Ellen Potter* so of course the result is a very readable, beautiful, haunting story that I rushed through in one sitting. Roo is a prickly character, with a lot of the contrariness that made Mary so interesting to read in Burnett's book. My only complaint is that this is a short book and I was hoping for/expecting something a little closer to the length of The Kneebone Boy. I really wanted to spend more time on Cough Rock! The ending left me with some unanswered questions about a main character, but not in a frustrating way...just in the way that makes you think about the book for days after.
I would recommend The Humming Room to fans of Potter and Frances Hodgson Burnett and anyone who loves modern twists on classic tales.
missbookiverse's review against another edition
3.0
Im Vergleich zu [b:The Kneebone Boy|7952209|The Kneebone Boy|Ellen Potter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316728692s/7952209.jpg|10258802] ist The Humming Room
1. eine Nacherzählung (von The Secret Garden)
und
2. wesentlich kürzer.
Genau deshalb hat es mich nicht so verzaubert wie TKB. Die Story war mir grob bekannt und hält nicht allzu viel Spannung bereit. Protagonistin Roo ist bissig und nicht so leicht zu mögen, macht im Gegensatz zu ihren Nebendarstellern aber eine Entwicklung durch und zeigt charakterliche Tiefe.
Der Roman ist quasi eine hübsche Blume, wo ich mir doch einen ganzen Garten gewünscht hätte (ihr dürft jetzt mit den Augen rollen).
1. eine Nacherzählung (von The Secret Garden)
und
2. wesentlich kürzer.
Genau deshalb hat es mich nicht so verzaubert wie TKB. Die Story war mir grob bekannt und hält nicht allzu viel Spannung bereit. Protagonistin Roo ist bissig und nicht so leicht zu mögen, macht im Gegensatz zu ihren Nebendarstellern aber eine Entwicklung durch und zeigt charakterliche Tiefe.
Der Roman ist quasi eine hübsche Blume, wo ich mir doch einen ganzen Garten gewünscht hätte (ihr dürft jetzt mit den Augen rollen).
jennymock's review against another edition
3.0
This book is an interesting update of the original novel "The Secret Garden." But even though it has been updated I think it is still too out-of-touch with modern life for 11 to 13 year olds. I think if the author had written a story focused on Clayton, NY and the Thousand Islands she could have created something really original and interesting. As it stands, this is a quick and fun read for fans of "The Secret Garden."