Review: The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

Title: The Lie Tree
Author: Frances Hardinge
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Release Date: 1st May 2015 (Out now!!)
Synopsis: The leaves were cold and slightly clammy. There was no mistaking them. She had seen their likeness painstakingly sketched in her father's journal. This was his greatest secret, his treasure and his undoing. The Tree of Lies. Now it was hers, and the journey he had never finished stretched out before her.
When Faith's father is found dead under mysterious circumstances, she is determined to untangle the truth from the lies. Searching through his belongings for clues she discovers a strange tree. A tree that feeds off whispered lies and bears fruit that reveals hidden secrets. The bigger the lie, and the more people who believe it, the bigger the truth that is uncovered.
But as Faith's untruths spread like wildfire across her small island community, she discovers that sometimes a single lie is more potent than any truth.

Review: One of the first things that I liked with this book was that I got to go back a little in time, rather than a contemporary setting or in some far off dystopian land where I had lived recently. So that was nice, and you got a really good feel for the time it was set in, with a sense of style (in what they wore) and society, with the archaic views that dominated that society, though Sandal is something that seems to transcend time and space.

I was drawn in by this cover, which I love. I have a strange thing for trees on books and the weirder the better, and this was a lovely almost sinister image with the tree coming out grabbing your lies and it really reflects the nature of the book.

With the tile, I didn't know what to make of the book and I like the way in which it unfolded, and how life broke down because of the tree, though it didn't actually come into it's full force until at least half way thorough....It was a great testament to the power and force of lies, and really makes you wonder about the effect that the lies you tell have on people...not that I've ever lied to anyone..umm anyway!! The use of lies really helped to build pace within the book, and although i wasn't flying through the book, i liked the pace at which things moved and events unraveled.

I liked Faith as a character, she was, and indeed is, strong willed and I like to imagine that she broke the mold and continued on to achieve what she wanted to do in life! I also hope that How was allowed to be a out and proud left hander! Faith was an enjoyable protagonist and you wanted to fight with her through her ups and downs. Both her mother and Father came off slightly more...i guess harsh is the right word, but for different reasons which get slowly fed to you throughout, and so whilst I didn't necessarily change that opinion of them you better understood their characters and reasons for it.

The people and the places felt real, the book has good vibes and overall it was an enjoyable read.

If you've read it or are planning to, let me know what you thought of it!