Review Wednesday: The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

Title: The Lie Tree

Author: Frances Hardinge
1st Date of Publication: March 7, 2015

ISBN: 9781447264101
# of Pages: 199
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Age Rating: 13+

Buy on Amazon 

Book Description:
To earn a secret so profound, I would need to tell momentous lies, and make as many people as possible believe them…

Faith Sunderly leads a double life. To most people, she is reliable, dull, trustworthy - a proper young lady who knows her place as inferior to men. But inside, Faith is full of questions and curiosity, and she cannot resist mysteries: an unattended envelope, an unlocked door. She knows secrets no one suspects her of knowing. She knows that her family moved to the close-knit island of Vane because her famous scientist father was fleeing a reputation-destroying scandal. And she knows when her father is discovered dead shortly thereafter, that he was murdered.

In pursuit of justice and revenge, Faith hunts through her father's possessions and discovers a strange tree. The tree bears fruit only when she whispers a lie to it. The fruit of the tree, when eaten, delivers a hidden truth. The tree might hold the key to her father's murder - or it may lure the murderer directly to Faith herself.



Setting: Island away from England in an unknown time period
Point of View: 3rd person- Faith Sunderly

Goodreads Rating: 3.87
My Rating: 3.0

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Cover

View on the Cover: To me, an apple seems so primal when it's on a cover. I find the apple very interesting since the apple is peeling but with things people say that may not be completely true.
View on Title: Does the tree lie? Does the fruit from the tree make you lie? 

Pros:

• It's interesting how there isn't really a time period to the book. It could be based in the past because the women wear corsets and dresses with little status in society. It could also be in the future where society has digressed to less progressive thinking that we know from the 20th and 21st centuries
• The location isn't very specific either which adds to the mystery. The only information that is known is that Faith and her family moved to an island close to England which they lived for some time.
• I like how the book is a murder mystery but I feel like there is barely any clues for you to figure out who the murderer is. It does not become apparent until almost the very end.
• I enjoyed Faith's character because she's very curious and wants to become part of her father's team in searching for artifacts. She knows she's smart and proves that she is more than someone who's only duty to society is to marry a man and produce an heir to his wealth.
• I also liked how Faith's father's name is Erasmus, which is a  reference to the famous Dutchman who was a theologian, a Renaissance humanist, and priest. The Erasmus in the novel shows many of these qualities by being a Reverend and how he encourages Faith to learn despite society's view of women.

Cons:

• From the beginning to about the last fifty pages, it seemed really slow. The lack of pace of proper pacing made the book feel more like a task where you can't wait to finish. The last fifty or so pages seemed to be rushed and could have been better paced. The author focused more on plot rather than the story flow and flourish. I was really excited for this book and it seemed to fall flat.

Critics' Reviews:
"Mystery, magic, religion, and feminism swirl together in Hardinge's latest heady concoction... Hardinge creates a fierce, unlikable heroine navigating a rapidly changing world and does it all with consummate skill and pitch-perfect prose, drawing readers into Faith's world and onto her side and ultimately saying quite a lot about the world. Thematically rich, stylistically impressive, absolutely unforgettable." -Kirkus
"Hardinge, who can turn a phrase like no other, melds a haunting historical mystery with a sharp observation on the dangers of suppressing the thirst for knowledge, and leaves readers to wonder where science ends and fantasy begins... Smart, feminist, and shadowy, Hardinge’s talents are on full display here." -School Library Journal
"Hardinge’s characteristically rich writing is on full display—alternately excoriating, haunting, and darkly funny—and the novel also features complex, many-sided characters and a clear-eyed examination of the deep sexism of the period, which trapped even the most intelligent women in roles as restrictive as their corsets." -Publisher's Weekly
"There is an effortless beauty to Hardinge’s writing, which ranges from frank to profound. Though layered, the plot refuses to sag, driven as it is by mystery, taut atmosphere, complex characters, and Faith’s insatiable curiosity... It is a book in which no details are wasted and each chapter brings a new surprise. Readers of historical fiction, mystery, and fantasy will all be captivated by this wonderfully crafted novel and the many secrets hidden within its pages." -Booklist

Frances Hardinge's Website:
http://www.franceshardinge.com/

Other Recommendations:

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
The Jewel by Amy Ewing
Eve by Anna Carey

Abstract to My Senior Thesis

Here is my abstract of my paper that I have worked on all semester. I will be posting my entire 20 page long paper, too. I just have to edit it a little bit more and copyright it because this is brand new research that has not been looked at yet.

She's the Man Coerced into Womanhood and She's the Girl Transformed by Manhood

There has been a lot of research and papers written about young adult dystopian fiction concerning gender trends of strong female protagonists. People have studied both "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent" separately in their study of challenging gender norms as feminist pieces of literature. However, very few people have studied both novels together in regards to gender. Because of this window, there has been no consideration given to the different kinds of heroines these female protagonists can be in young adult dystopian fiction. Both Katniss from "The Hunger Games" and Tris from "Divergent" combine masculine and feminine qualities through the way they dress in different ways. Both young women's thoughts can be seen through the first person narrative, but Katniss shows more reason while Tris shows more emotion. Finally, both female heroines act differently toward others and their situations in order to survive.