Lie Tree
Frances Hardinge
Lie Tree
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Costa Book of the Year 2015
by Frances Hardinge
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What if telling a lie could uncover the deepest secrets? Faith finds her father's mysterious journals and learns about a tree that reveals truths when fed lies. But chasing these hidden truths might bring danger she never expected.
Quick Assessment
The Lie Tree is a dark, suspenseful middle-grade novel set in Victorian England, exploring themes of science, secrecy, and family. It follows Faith, a curious girl who discovers a mystical tree that reveals truths through lies, leading her into risky situations. Suitable for readers aged 9-12, this story contains some mature themes around deception and danger but is handled thoughtfully.
Why we rated Lie Tree 12ME
Lie Tree is written at a Level 7 reading level across 359 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Lie Tree works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Lie Tree as 12ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Lie Tree explores mystery, science & nature, family, coming of age, and historical — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, science & nature, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
5/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781509834372
- Pages
- 359
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Published
- 2016
- Type
- Fiction