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uselesspirateraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
candymagic's review against another edition
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When her family is whisked away to a remote island community so that her preacherman and natural scientist father can join an archeological dig, Faith knows that she isn't being told everything. She finds out that her father has been implicated in a scandal over faked fossils, including his greatest find, that is implied to be a winged human.. and then her father is found dead after apparently throwing himself off a cliff.
Refusing to believe that her father ended his own life, Faith's mood takes a dark turn. She contrives to invent a ghost to have her revenge on a maid who was mean to her, and in her thorough investigation of her father's things finds that he has hidden away a biological specimen with some very mysterious properties.. some might say supernatural; as a Rationalist, Faith thinks this needs more scientific investigation.
Being set in the late 1800s this allows a critique of evolution and creationism, and questions whether science is really pitted against the Church. It is also unashamedly Feminist and explores some of the shonky and emergent scientific theories that underpin some of the (misguided) "rational" explanations made to explain why men are better than women.
As in other titles by the author, Hardinge brings her own blend of well researched historical drama, shadowy mystery and darkly cruel supernaturality, to a story including hallucinatory dreams, and this girl who is fascinated by snakes, cat skulls, and rats.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation
thalassa_reading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The fact that the narration was so incredibly vivid also made the harrowing misogyny Faith and the other women are exposed to so much more visceral. I almost quit twice because the injustice felt unbearable. But I'm glad I continued. (Nothing bad happens really, it's mainly men congratulating themselves on their self-diagnosed intellectual superiority and being nasty.)
The book is beautifully written, the language and imagery vivid and effective. The first half introduces the characters and setting and might feel slow if you're expecting a fantasy novel. It's really more a story about a young, intelligent girl in the 19th century trying to find ways to follow her curiosity and thirst for scientific knowledge, against all of society including her idolized father, a natural scientist. As the story unfolds (from her perspective) it becomes clear in what ways the other women similarly fight for their interests while carefully curating their public image.
There are so many additional layers to this book, the very real consequences of lies, the relief of finding someone you can trust, science, religion and the difficult realization that humans are simply evolved animals. I also loved the interactions of Faith with her little brother, an innocent boy struggling with the expectations placed on him as the male.
All in all an amazing book with so many facets.
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
antimony's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Death of parent, and Murder
pepsi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child death
crescentmoondaydreams's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty
sidbookreviews's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
2021 Reread:
Even better than the first time! Reading this with fresh eyes I got a lot more appreciation for the supporting characters and the number of meticulous details put into the story. The Lie Tree is really an ode to all the invisible clever women throughout history, and this is especially evident in the characters, especially Myrtle and Agatha, who have a lot more depth than meets eye. Overall I just love this book so much and it remains one of my favourite books ever.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Child death