You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
A charming and intriguing little romp, very enjoyable.
Gorgeously written and expertly plotted, The Lie Tree is a dark, decadent and unapologetically feminist fairytale for the ages. Given how many authors and reviewers whose opinions I trust have raved about this book, I was fairly certain before I started The Lie Tree that I would enjoy it, but somehow it still managed to exceed all of my expectations. Hardinge’s lush prose, complex characters and captivating mystery had me hooked within the first few pages.
The Lie Tree follows Faith Sunderly, a young girl living in Victorian England, who longs to follow in her father’s footsteps and study natural science. When her father dies under suspicious circumstances, Faith’s determination to unravel the mystery of his death leads her to discover his journals, filled with the scribbled notes and theories of a man driven close to madness. Theories of a strange tree which, when told a lie, will uncover a truth.
At its heart, The Lie Tree is a story about the invisible women of Victorian society - women forced to live in a society that patronises, restricts and ignores them at every turn - and Faith is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve read in a long time. Her thirst for knowledge, her frustration with the limitations forced upon her because of her gender, and her gradual realisation of her own internalised sexism made her narrative arc immensely satisfying. Hardinge has written a deeply political novel, and her anger at the way history has treated women who refused to conform is almost tangible.
If you’re a fan of mystery and magical realism, I can’t recommend The Lie Tree enough. I’ve already picked up a copy of Twilight Robbery by Frances Hardinge, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her.
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Rating: 5 stars | ★★★★★
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd
The Lie Tree follows Faith Sunderly, a young girl living in Victorian England, who longs to follow in her father’s footsteps and study natural science. When her father dies under suspicious circumstances, Faith’s determination to unravel the mystery of his death leads her to discover his journals, filled with the scribbled notes and theories of a man driven close to madness. Theories of a strange tree which, when told a lie, will uncover a truth.
At its heart, The Lie Tree is a story about the invisible women of Victorian society - women forced to live in a society that patronises, restricts and ignores them at every turn - and Faith is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve read in a long time. Her thirst for knowledge, her frustration with the limitations forced upon her because of her gender, and her gradual realisation of her own internalised sexism made her narrative arc immensely satisfying. Hardinge has written a deeply political novel, and her anger at the way history has treated women who refused to conform is almost tangible.
If you’re a fan of mystery and magical realism, I can’t recommend The Lie Tree enough. I’ve already picked up a copy of Twilight Robbery by Frances Hardinge, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her.
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Rating: 5 stars | ★★★★★
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd
The Lie Tree has been on my radar for the longest time, ever since it won the Costa Book Award back in 2015 and I was delighted when the lovely booksellers at Mr B's Emporium Of Reading Delights in Bath recommended it as one of the books I simply had to read on a reading spa I went to with my sister Chrissi Reads. Now, they picked some outstanding books perfectly tailored for my reading tastes but this book was one of their more intuitive choices and one that had me jumping up and down about it within just a few pages. I think I was merely twenty pages through when I had the urge to tweet gushing all about it and I had barely begun! You know when you start reading a book and everything slots into place? The lyrical writing, the atmospheric setting, the mystery of the characters, the magical elements? They were all spectacular and I knew it was a book destined to make it to my all-time favourites book shelf.
This is the story of Faith and her family who are fleeing England after a scandal involving her father's work as a natural scientist. They encamp themselves upon a small island where they believe at first the rumours haven't followed them and the Reverend can continue his rather secretive work in relative peace. Faith is an intelligent, determined girl who takes great interest in her father's studies although the fact that she is a woman in 19th century England does not bode well for her future intellectual development i.e. she is not expected to pursue anything else other than marrying well. However, when her father meets an untimely end under suspicious circumstances, Faith is desperate to peruse his current research, in search for answers about his mysterious death, his very strange behaviour and his often rattled demeanour in order to uncover the secrets behind a very special plant, The Lie Tree. It is only when she discovers what The Lie Tree can potentially provide that Faith begins to realise she may have opened a bigger can of worms than she ever could have expected.
This gorgeous novel was so much more than I anticipated and I thank Frances Hardinge from the bottom of my heart for every word of it. The language used is sumptuous and glorious and I loved the combination of the historical setting with the fantastical element of the Lie Tree mixed with subtle hints of feminist undertones. Each character and their intricate relationships was developed so beautifully that they felt completely authentic, especially with the addition of flaws that only served to increase my belief in each one of them. I have to talk briefly about Faith's relationship with both her parents, which broke my heart at times. I clocked her mother, Myrtle immediately as being disinterested, two-faced and not in the slightest maternal but it was Faith's relationship with her father that really floored me and at one point, almost had me in tears.
There's a particular scene with Faith and the Reverend just prior to his death where he tells her exactly what he and the rest of the world expects of her as a female and it's just a horrific, passionate exchange that was upsetting yet very illuminating to read. Faith is herself as I alluded to, flawed and becomes enamoured with the power provided to her by The Lie Tree. She makes some really terrible decisions, suffers for her bravery and hurts a few people in the process but at the end of the day, I couldn't help but admire her for her tenacity and dogged determination to ensure that her father's death was avenged. Basically, I can't gush enough about the magnificent nature of this novel, it is a very worthy Costa Award winner and for me, proof that a book can still capture my heart within twenty pages.
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
This is the story of Faith and her family who are fleeing England after a scandal involving her father's work as a natural scientist. They encamp themselves upon a small island where they believe at first the rumours haven't followed them and the Reverend can continue his rather secretive work in relative peace. Faith is an intelligent, determined girl who takes great interest in her father's studies although the fact that she is a woman in 19th century England does not bode well for her future intellectual development i.e. she is not expected to pursue anything else other than marrying well. However, when her father meets an untimely end under suspicious circumstances, Faith is desperate to peruse his current research, in search for answers about his mysterious death, his very strange behaviour and his often rattled demeanour in order to uncover the secrets behind a very special plant, The Lie Tree. It is only when she discovers what The Lie Tree can potentially provide that Faith begins to realise she may have opened a bigger can of worms than she ever could have expected.
This gorgeous novel was so much more than I anticipated and I thank Frances Hardinge from the bottom of my heart for every word of it. The language used is sumptuous and glorious and I loved the combination of the historical setting with the fantastical element of the Lie Tree mixed with subtle hints of feminist undertones. Each character and their intricate relationships was developed so beautifully that they felt completely authentic, especially with the addition of flaws that only served to increase my belief in each one of them. I have to talk briefly about Faith's relationship with both her parents, which broke my heart at times. I clocked her mother, Myrtle immediately as being disinterested, two-faced and not in the slightest maternal but it was Faith's relationship with her father that really floored me and at one point, almost had me in tears.
There's a particular scene with Faith and the Reverend just prior to his death where he tells her exactly what he and the rest of the world expects of her as a female and it's just a horrific, passionate exchange that was upsetting yet very illuminating to read. Faith is herself as I alluded to, flawed and becomes enamoured with the power provided to her by The Lie Tree. She makes some really terrible decisions, suffers for her bravery and hurts a few people in the process but at the end of the day, I couldn't help but admire her for her tenacity and dogged determination to ensure that her father's death was avenged. Basically, I can't gush enough about the magnificent nature of this novel, it is a very worthy Costa Award winner and for me, proof that a book can still capture my heart within twenty pages.
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
DNF. Not really in the mindset for a book set in a time where women were considered - by science - to be inferior in every way. It was just rubbing me the wrong way the whole time. I really did try, though. Maybe another time.
This book is hard to explain. The first half of the book does not contain much action, yet somehow her unique prose crawled under my skin. I wanted to keep reading more for her writing style rather than needing to read because I was left on the edge of my seat. The Lie Tree is definitely a slow builder, but when the action (finally) comes, it comes full-force. Something about this book is strange and weird and unsettling, but it really grew on me.
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated