Take a photo of a barcode or cover
sterling8 's review for:
The Lie Tree
by Frances Hardinge
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love a book about a Victorian lady scientist. The main character of this book, Faith, is just entering her teens but has already discovered her love of science. Faith is smart and just now figuring out just how much she has to hide that intelligence in order to be pleasing to most of the men around her. Faith is pushed into many roles that she doesn't want and cut of from what she does want. She must take care of her young brother in the absence of a nursemaid. She must follow her mother away from the scientific discussions of the men and into the realm of women, where she sits silent and bored. Faith does not yet understand the few avenues to agency available to women, although her mother does. Faith disdains her mother's manipulations and flirtations and doesn't see that this is how her mother survives.
Faith idolizes her gentleman scientist father, who is a researcher into fossils. Her family has ended up on a remote island and Faith is vaguely aware that there was some sort of scandal that the family is trying to outrun, but she can't believe that her father could be anything less than perfect. And her father does seem to see a use for her- they transport one of his most secret specimens to a location where it won't be found.
After tragedy strikes, Faith discovers more about this specimen. It seems to only be able to thrive in complete darkness and it lives off the lies it is told. But the teller must then spread this lie around. Then the tree bears bitter fruit that will give the teller a truth related to that lie. Faith uses this plant to try to investigate her father's death and then to avenge herself upon those that she feels have wronged her.
Faith is an interesting character. She's got a lot of intellect but not a lot of emotional intelligence. She becomes extremely vengeful and evil in her grief. In this book, she grows up a lot. She's not very likable at times, but she is compelling.
This is a very gothic feeling book, with secret caves, people who are not what they seem, dangerous cliffs near the sea, and a heroine who must save herself on her own. I really enjoyed it.
Faith idolizes her gentleman scientist father, who is a researcher into fossils. Her family has ended up on a remote island and Faith is vaguely aware that there was some sort of scandal that the family is trying to outrun, but she can't believe that her father could be anything less than perfect. And her father does seem to see a use for her- they transport one of his most secret specimens to a location where it won't be found.
After tragedy strikes, Faith discovers more about this specimen. It seems to only be able to thrive in complete darkness and it lives off the lies it is told. But the teller must then spread this lie around. Then the tree bears bitter fruit that will give the teller a truth related to that lie. Faith uses this plant to try to investigate her father's death and then to avenge herself upon those that she feels have wronged her.
Faith is an interesting character. She's got a lot of intellect but not a lot of emotional intelligence. She becomes extremely vengeful and evil in her grief. In this book, she grows up a lot. She's not very likable at times, but she is compelling.
This is a very gothic feeling book, with secret caves, people who are not what they seem, dangerous cliffs near the sea, and a heroine who must save herself on her own. I really enjoyed it.