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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
This book was so good! I usually can guess the twists or the who-done-it in books, but this one kept me guessing until the end. I loved the mixture of science and unworldliness as well. I will be hunting done the other books that this author writes!
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I do not normally give written reviews but this book truly deserves one. How this book won ‘Costa book of the year 2015’ I do not know- maybe it was because you had to be dosed up on caffeine to stay awake enough to read it. Maybe the author fed a lie to the tree so the costa book awards to win the award. The pacing was so off, for the first 3/4 it was painfully boring, and slow, the last 1/4 picked up the pace but then felt so rushed and unfinished it served no purpose.
3.8
The story is well developed and resembles so Agatha Christie novel with a magical twist. Although, I felt the story could have developed a little faster.
The story is well developed and resembles so Agatha Christie novel with a magical twist. Although, I felt the story could have developed a little faster.
It took me forever to get into this book. I got into a massive reading slump and kept staring at the book and thinking 'Why must I read you?' and that isn't the best precedent to set before getting to a hundred pages. However, once I finally got into The Lie Tree, none of that mattered because, wow, this book has a lot to say.
I bought this book purely because Patrick Ness said he liked it on the cover (I'm terrible) and I thought it would be your run of the mill well-written children's fantasy. It was not. The Lie Tree is actually a kind of magical realism novel set in the mid-Victorian era under the shadow of Darwin's revolutionary On the Origin of Species. It's a book with three main, and complex, themes: the clash of old theological views and new scientific revelations; the possible reasons and the consequences of lying; and the ideas behind Victorian gender roles.
It's the last theme that sticks with you. Because The Lie Tree is led by Faith Sunderly and Faith wants to be a natural scientist. But she's fourteen and she's already resigned herself to a life that won't include her in the natural sciences, or one that, at the most, won't appreciate her mind, discoveries or work.
The beginning of the book is very male-character dominated. They're all giving their very welcome opinions about Faith's interest in science and her place in the adult world she's beginning to enter. Whenever she reveals that she knows more than they expect (because she has, you know, read books), they not only act surprised but disappointed that they cannot enlighten Faith with their superior intellect.
By the end of the book, these forced ideas are starting to shift in Faith's soufflé mind. Suddenly all the female characters, who have been very much on the side lines so far, take over the plot and Faith realises there are other ways to go about this world. She might not have the opportunity to be acknowledged as a natural scientist, but maybe she can pave the way for other girls to find the path.
I could go on. I haven't even touched on the Lie Tree, the book's namesake. This is one of those books that has so much inside that it could be appreciated by pretty much anyone - not just its intended young audience.
Full review and more at https://musingmimiblog.wordpress.com
I bought this book purely because Patrick Ness said he liked it on the cover (I'm terrible) and I thought it would be your run of the mill well-written children's fantasy. It was not. The Lie Tree is actually a kind of magical realism novel set in the mid-Victorian era under the shadow of Darwin's revolutionary On the Origin of Species. It's a book with three main, and complex, themes: the clash of old theological views and new scientific revelations; the possible reasons and the consequences of lying; and the ideas behind Victorian gender roles.
It's the last theme that sticks with you. Because The Lie Tree is led by Faith Sunderly and Faith wants to be a natural scientist. But she's fourteen and she's already resigned herself to a life that won't include her in the natural sciences, or one that, at the most, won't appreciate her mind, discoveries or work.
The beginning of the book is very male-character dominated. They're all giving their very welcome opinions about Faith's interest in science and her place in the adult world she's beginning to enter. Whenever she reveals that she knows more than they expect (because she has, you know, read books), they not only act surprised but disappointed that they cannot enlighten Faith with their superior intellect.
By the end of the book, these forced ideas are starting to shift in Faith's soufflé mind. Suddenly all the female characters, who have been very much on the side lines so far, take over the plot and Faith realises there are other ways to go about this world. She might not have the opportunity to be acknowledged as a natural scientist, but maybe she can pave the way for other girls to find the path.
I could go on. I haven't even touched on the Lie Tree, the book's namesake. This is one of those books that has so much inside that it could be appreciated by pretty much anyone - not just its intended young audience.
Full review and more at https://musingmimiblog.wordpress.com
I really enjoyed this parable on evolution, emerging feminism and honesty. You'd think that a speculative fiction book about a girl's role in society, the tension inherent in being a natural scientist while being clergy (as most Victorian scientists were), the Victorian obsession with death, and evolution would be pretty scattered. However, I found The Lie Tree to be one of the most tightly woven books I've ever read: no subplot was left unresolved, and barely a sentence was included without being tied back to one of the central themes of the book. This smoothness may be a turnoff for some -- in places, it made the book feel a little juvenile to me -- but I couldn't help but marvel at the artistry.
And at the end of the day, my favorite themes are women's place in science, the marvel inherent in natural science, the importance of uncomfortable honesty and speculative fiction, so I enjoyed this thoroughly.
And at the end of the day, my favorite themes are women's place in science, the marvel inherent in natural science, the importance of uncomfortable honesty and speculative fiction, so I enjoyed this thoroughly.
I can't decide where to begin telling about how much I loved this book. Also it's a little hard to gush properly without some spoilers! But. Here is a list of what I loved.
1. Beautiful. The language was just so evocative, reading the book was a sensory experience.
2. Daring ladies--and many different sorts of daring.
3. Mystery!
4. Creepy plants!
5. The MC was so wonderfully flawed and conflicted and loving and angry and passionate and intelligent . . . I would love to drink tea with her. And bitch about the patriarchy with her.
It was so so good.
1. Beautiful. The language was just so evocative, reading the book was a sensory experience.
2. Daring ladies--and many different sorts of daring.
3. Mystery!
4. Creepy plants!
5. The MC was so wonderfully flawed and conflicted and loving and angry and passionate and intelligent . . . I would love to drink tea with her. And bitch about the patriarchy with her.
It was so so good.
I was lent this book by a friend who thought I’d like it - and she was absolutely right. Faith is an utterly believable heroine and a wonderfully bad example for girls and women. I knew about the history of Victorian ‘hidden mother’ and death photos and Hardinge makes suitably gruesome use of them. Now I must read Julie Melnyk’s Victorian Religion: Faith and Life in Britain, mentioned in Hardinge’s acknowledgements.
While I usually have a low tolerance for teenage angst, Faith's angst was actually justified and Hardinge was so eloquent in expressing the swirl of emotions she was feeling.
The story had me on tenterhooks - I wasn't sure where it was all going and revelled in its unfurling mystery. I didn't want it to end, but it was the perfect place to conclude the story. I actually rolled around on the floor exclaiming "what a good book! Ah!!" when I was finished (caveat: I was already on the floor).
Riddell's illustrations are flawless (as usual) - such a great touch to an already amazing book. Fiercely happy I bought the hardback.
The story had me on tenterhooks - I wasn't sure where it was all going and revelled in its unfurling mystery. I didn't want it to end, but it was the perfect place to conclude the story. I actually rolled around on the floor exclaiming "what a good book! Ah!!" when I was finished (caveat: I was already on the floor).
Riddell's illustrations are flawless (as usual) - such a great touch to an already amazing book. Fiercely happy I bought the hardback.