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A Face Like Glass
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
'Everyone should read Frances Hardinge. Everyone. Right now.' Patrick Ness A Face Like Glass is an astonishing and imaginative novel from the Costa Award winning author of The Lie Tree, Frances Hardinge. In the underground city of Caverna the world's most skilled craftsmen toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare - wines that can remove memories, cheeses that can make you hallucinate and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer, even as they slit your throat. The people of Caverna are more ordinary, but for one thing: their faces are as blank as untouched snow. Expressions must be learned, and only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to show (or fake) joy, despair or fear - at a price. Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a little girl with no memory of her past and a face so terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. For Neverfell's emotions are as obvious on her face as those of the most skilled Facesmiths, though entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed . . .
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Isy
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
Pickpick

Having read The Lie Tree, I was really excited to read this one, and it did not disappoint. A little bizarre and completely unpredictable, which perfectly sums up Neverfell's character as well. A definite page turner, loved it.

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Cathy_J
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Pickpick

This is my third Frances Hardinge book and they are all so imaginative! Admittedly A Face Like Glass is quite strange but I did really enjoy the mystery/intrigue 😊 ⭐⭐⭐.5

Lucy_Anywhere I‘ve only read The Lie Tree and I loved it - I need to read more of her books 2y
59 likes5 stack adds1 comment
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Johanna414
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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A wild reader in her natural habitat... this high school student come to the library and reads for half an hour every day. Needless to say, she‘s pretty much my favorite student 🤗
#schoollibraries #litsyloveslibraries #librariansoflitsy

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BookMaven9
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Mehso-so


It‘s imaginative, clever twists , reads like a chess match and reminds me very much of Neil Gaiman in its creativity and world building. I feel the author went on too long and at certain points I was like ok let‘s get moving. It needed some editing and cleaning up in parts. I feel
If it was a bit shorter and clearer in some parts, I would have loved it. But for now I‘ll say I liked it.

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annalibris
Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Pickpick

This is a weird book. A city full of people who don‘t know how to show emotion on their faces, and one little girl can‘t control what she shows on hers. Throw in an immortal leader, and wines and cheeses with magical powers and you have something I‘ve never read before. I really liked this one.

Copwithabook I also thought it was so unique and loved it. I‘m so glad to find someone else who‘s read this one! 6y
annalibris Wasn‘t it cool? It just dragged me along, it was so strange. 6y
7 likes2 comments
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bookishlyisha
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge

After finishing this book I just don't know what to do with myself... Seriously one of the most unique and most beautifully written story that I've read in ages! I will definitely be reading again!!!

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Copwithabook
Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Pickpick

I picked this one up because it seemed different than anything I‘ve read. I was right. I found the setting so imaginative! The idea is that because of low light they were unable from birth to mimic the faces of their mothers so Facesmiths had to make faces for them. I found myself trying to make the faces the author describes. I‘m sure it was hilarious to my family. Honestly, I wish someone would pick this up and make it into a movie.

ReadingRover I‘m so happy to see you‘re review because I‘ve had this on audiobook forever and just haven‘t gotten around to it. It seems like such a great concept. Now I‘m totally moving it up on the list. 6y
15 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Copwithabook
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Library pick. I‘m hoping that it will be a palate cleanser after so many hefty and emotional books that I‘ve read lately. #YA #funread

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Johanna414
Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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I was feeling the Mondays, but then a box of new books got delivered! Many of them are replacement copies for lost or damaged books, but there‘s some new and exciting titles in here as well. As always, I‘m trying really hard to convince myself I don‘t need to take them all home to read tonight... #newbooks #bookhaul #schoollibrarians #librariansoflitsy #teachersoflitsy

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ItsAnotherJen
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Pickpick


Frances Hardinge managed to create a wonderfully unique and weirdly beautiful world. The closest thing to it would be 'Alice in Wonderland'. I have never heard of this author before now! I'm heading straight into 'The Lie Tree'.

"I swam across the torrent of my madness, and pulled myself upon the shore of a new and better sanity."

The epilogue is everything. It makes you realize how upside down we had been the whole time.

93 likes5 stack adds
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Nitpickyabouttrains
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Panpan

This book was not for me. It was closer to middle grade then YA, and felt very young. The story was bordering on fairytale and nonsensical in a way that I did not enjoy. And the action happened at a pace that made the characters seem uninteresting and unthinking, they never stopped to process anything.

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Rome
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
Pickpick

Amazing intricate plot line, with well developed characters. The setting is full of opportunities for detailed scenes; and the overall theme makes me want a sequel.

Guptash Nice adjectives 6y
2 likes1 comment
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mangokittty
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
Pickpick

“I can‘t think straight. But why am I trying to do that anyway? Everybody else thinks straight. That‘s why nobody expects me to think zigzag-hop. Which is what I do naturally.”

This was such fun to read. The main character is incredibly endearing. In Caverna there‘s wines that erase memories, cheese that give visions (and explode), and perfumes that inspire trust. Plus people who learn faces. This was so creative and I couldn‘t put it down.

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Guptash
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
Pickpick

The thing that stuck it the most to me when reading this book was the utter creativity and uniqueness. It didn't have your cliché characters and uneventful plot. This book is filled with wines that can erase your memory and cheeses that make you hallucinate. Most interestingly of all, no one is born with expressions. They all have faces of glass...

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annahenke
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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I've been tagged by the one and only @MrBook to make a #fivestarpredictions post!

Here are some books on my TBR that I anticipate loving once I get them in my hands. I'm on the holds list!

I'm a childhood Laura Ingalls fan, will read anything Brene Brown writes, love the Rae Carson series, loved The Lie Tree, and have heard rave reviews about the Ivey.

I tag the following! @dariazeoli @Usagi @intothehallofbooks @WhatDeeReads @JazzFeathers

MrBook Ooooh! WONDERFUL selections! 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
Kristy_K I'm so excited for Into the Bright Unknown! I love that series. :) 7y
dariazeoli I love Brene Brown! Thanks for the tag. I posted 4 the other day but I'll try to post a few more! 7y
See All 7 Comments
Usagi How are you able to post pictures like that?!? Lol 😜 7y
annahenke @Usagi I used the layout app. It may or may not be associated with Instagram. Not sure but it works! 7y
Laalaleighh Oooh I got an ARC and a U.K. First Edition of A Face Like Glass from @BooksTeasAndBookishThings for my birthday- I haven't read it yet because I've been trying to get my hands on it forever and now I want to savor the anticipation and not have it be over (Bc I'm weird) but it's on both my fivestar predictions and my tbrbingo! I'm not surprised at all that you picked it! 7y
intothehallofbooks I'm just seeing this and can't wait to play when I get home in a bit! Also: I SO have my eye on Caroline like this --> 😍 7y
119 likes7 comments
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Laalaleighh
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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@Lizpixie tagged me in the #FiveStarPredictions Tag.
Welllll I'm a notoriously generous book critic so 5 stars is kind of meaningless to me. The real test is will a book end up on my favorites list. So here, marked with my favorite emoji, are my predictions from the books left in my current TBR I think will make the cut:

The House at Riverton
A Face Like Glass
The Rules of Civility
The Just City
Spoonbenders

Probs my free space too😉

Snow Do you feel like having high expectations before reading a book influences your ultimate rating? 7y
Laalaleighh @Snow I don't think so. If anything I think it might make me more critical than normal because anything other than utter greatness is a let down. So actually yes, but not in a predisposed bias kind of way. That's a really interesting question to think about. What about you? 7y
sprainedbrain Oooooh I love this idea! I'm not so free with the 5-star reviews, but I definitely gave 5 to 7y
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Snow @Laalaleighh I think it kind of does! I wish it didn't, but if I go in with no (or low) expectations, I can be pleasantly surprised. Whereas if I think it's gonna be the book of the decade (based on reviews or the author's previous work) I think I tend to be a little more critical. Something i need to work on ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 7y
Laalaleighh @Snow this is why I dont read books til I forget what their flap copy or whatever said they were about. 7y
Laalaleighh @sprainedbrain yayyyy now i KNOW I'll love it! 7y
Snow @Laalaleighh good idea!! I also like to go in as blind as possible once I know it's something I'll at least possibly like 👍 7y
Cinfhen @Lizpixie tagged me too 💜I'm intrigued by your choices...especially 7y
Sace Love the modeling cat. 😻 7y
Laalaleighh @Avanders I did it a couple days ago, but thank you for the tag! 😘 7y
Avanders Ooh pretty, and great set! I'm also curious about Spoonbenders (along with @Cinfhen) .. will look forward to your review! 7y
Laalaleighh @Avanders thank ya! I'll be sure to tag yall when I review it! 7y
Laalaleighh @RestlessFickleBookSlut she says to tell her adoring public thank you 😼 7y
Laalaleighh @Kammbia1 here were my five star predictions from my current tbrbingo! 7y
81 likes14 comments
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Chrys
Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Distracting myself from a summer cold with this read. I am not really connecting with the main character, but am curious enough about the intrigues and side characters to keep going.

readinginthedark I tend to get more invested in side characters! 7y
14 likes1 stack add1 comment
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libraryfangirly
Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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When the rest of your house is asleep but you're on page 366 of 488 and it's almost 1:30am, so you just sitting up in bed with some words to keep you company

#books #reading #booknerd #booklover #bookworm #bibliophile #bookish #yalit #read #booknerdigans #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookshimmy #newbooks #librarian

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Toesinsandbookinhand
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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coffeenebula
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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My setup while I wait for a long overdue oil change. Sometimes, you've gotta #treatyoself !

I-read-and-eat Amen! That looks good 😊 7y
readinginthedark I love having work done on my car for this reason. 😂If only it weren't so expensive to get some reading time... 7y
OffTheBeatenShelf.com Love Pattycake Bakery and Crimson Cup! I thought about going there today to write, but I'm lazy, so I'm writing on the couch. Lol. 7y
coffeenebula @OffTheBeatenShelf.com At least you're writing! 👏🏻 Btw, when's the next silent reading meet? 7y
OffTheBeatenShelf.com @coffeenebula Tuesday, June 13th at 6:30 at the Tim Hortons at 1135 Dublin Rd. I'd love for you to come if you're free! Meetings are on the second Tuesday of the month, always at a different location. If you're on Meetup you can join on there for notifications, and/or add me on Facebook and I'll invite you to the Facebook event. ☺️ 7y
55 likes5 comments
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ElyssaReads
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Bailedbailed

A rare DNF for me. #NetGalley find, very slow start and I just could not get into the story. Perhaps I'll go back to this one eventually but I did not get through it this round.

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elkeOriginal
Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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I was SO excited about this book several months ago when a friend handed me an ARC after I over-expressed my intense love of The Lie Tree...but I have not yet read it.
Why? The US cover is so 🤢 I didn't want to touch it?
Solution? Order the UK cover! Might just be next on my stack now that I have a cover I like looking at 😁

Chachic Loved this book! I also read the UK edition. 7y
Kalalalatja #NoShame - pretty covers are important! And that one is really pretty 👌 7y
GypsyKat Ohh! I love this version of the cover! 😍 7y
See All 7 Comments
BarbaraJean I just looked up the US cover, and... 🤢is right!!! Ugh. It's awful. This one is so pretty! 7y
brandymuses This is my FAVORITE Hardinge book. And I was upset about the US cover. I had my U.K. copy from years ago and am happily staying with that. 7y
aeeklund Let me know when you do read this one! I still have the ARC sitting on my stack. 7y
elkeOriginal @aeeklund Yes! This is in my shortstack to see if you want to buddyread! 7y
49 likes7 stack adds7 comments
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Lindy
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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This fantasy novel about a girl who is #masked throughout her childhood is absolutely wonderful.
@RealLifeReading

RealLifeReading Sounds good! 7y
42 likes1 stack add1 comment
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DeborahSmall
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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A few missing from image, a nice paperback edition of The Princess Bride and another copy of The Godfather as my old copy is MIA! Thank you @Lindy for putting me on to Frances Hardinge, Fly By Night looks fantastic and they are all gorgeous books @saresmoore the David Walliams is for Lucy along with Awful Auntie, that got cut out. Waiting on 2 more but I'll post these first ❤️

saresmoore 💞Beautiful! 7y
Lindy My YA book group will discuss A Face Like Glass next week. We've done Fly By Night and Lie Tree previously. All good. 7y
DeborahSmall @saresmoore waiting on a bookmark for Lucy before I post 💕 7y
77 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Lindy
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Pickpick

An amnesiac child, a bizarre underground world, cheeses with killer attitude, wines that alter memories, a populace with faces blank of expression... this dazzling standalone fantasy has a twisty plot full of lies and deception. Ages 10-adult.

31 likes1 stack add
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Lindy
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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This children's fantasy starts off promising, with a child falling into a giant cheesemaking vat of curdling milk:
"Grandible had heard nothing untoward, for the creamy junket was already set enough to muffle the sound of the splash."
Yikes!

DeborahSmall I really like the look of this 💕 7y
Lindy @DeborahSmall I really liked Fly by Night and Lie Tree, so I expect great things. 7y
saresmoore Ah! That sounds terrible! 7y
43 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Lindy
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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For years, my YA book club has selected two books for each meeting. Lately, however, it's been three at a time, including this 489-page beauty.
Learned from @BethFishReads that it's only being released in the US next month. This Canadian UK import edition was published in 2012.

BethFishReads Yep different cover. I like yours 7y
41 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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BethFishReads
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Really liked her last book so I was very excited to see this on my doorstep today. It pubs next month

BellaBookNook What a cool looking cover. 7y
Lindy I guess it came out earlier in Canada. I've currently got a copy out from the library to read before my next YA book club. 7y
BethFishReads @Lindy I've seen a variety of covers. I guess they are country specific 7y
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Lindy @BethFishReads This cover looks like it's aimed at an older audience. Hardinge' books (including this title) are in the children's collection, rather than YA, at my local library. 7y
BethFishReads @Lindy the marketing material says young adult, but it does look like they're hoping for crossover 7y
teresareads I read one of her early books (Fly by Night) recently and liked it a lot. Several people told me her later books are the best ones, so I'm excited to read some of those. 7y
BethFishReads @teresareads I've only read The Lie Tree -- I should look into her other books too 7y
DebinHawaii It sounds interesting--hallucinogenic cheese!?!🧀😆👍 7y
DebinHawaii @BethFishReads I had some blue cheese that grew a furry coat in the back of the fridge. That may qualify! 😂 7y
BethFishReads @DebinHawaii 😬😬😬😬 7y
39 likes1 stack add12 comments
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Eholling
Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Who doesn't want to read a book about exploding cheeses?! Onto the next one!!

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BiblioNyan
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
Pickpick

This is a beautifully written & imaginative story of fantasy. The writing completely blew me away, sucking me into the meticulously detailed & fabulously original environments. The characters were in grey areas where I couldn't just hate or love them. The depth was totally unexpected. The whole premise was ambitious & the execution did not disappoint at all! 4.5 / 5!

#middlegrade #british #afacelikeglass #franceshardinge #fantasy

Nafiza Have you read her The Lie Tree and The Doll one? Both are as brilliant. 7y
BiblioNyan @Nafiza I received Fly By Night last year for a birthday present, but haven't had a chance to pick it up yet. I've heard of The Lie Tree, which sounds AMAZING. What's the Doll One?? :o 7y
Nafiza The Cuckoo Song! 7y
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BiblioNyan
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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I absolutely love the premise of this book! It's very dark, mysterious, and fascinating... to say the least!

#afacelikeglass #franceshardinge #middlegrade #british #quotes #amreading

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IndigoReader
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge

Definitely loving this weird vibe of this story. Feels genuine to the author....I think is what I'm trying to say XD

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IndigoReader
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Starting actual challenge now with this beaut! Honey came home with a rather large ARC haul today so I've been compiling my list together for Litsy A to Z. #currentlyreading #afacelikeglass #ARC #abrams #litsyAtoZ #fantasy #magic #youngadult #teen #franceshardinge #letterA #ALAmidwinter #librarian #hardinge #franceshardinge

8 likes1 stack add
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Tanzy13
Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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In the underground city of Caverna, the craftsmen toil in the darkness to create delicacies and magic, and the people have faces that are as blank as snow. Expressions must be learned, and only Facesmiths can teach a person to express them.

Into this dark world comes Neverfell, a girl with no memory of her past and a face so emotionally varied and dynamic, except hers are entirely genuine, and that makes her dangerous indeed...

Gissy Wow sounds super interesting 👌🏼 7y
74 likes8 stack adds1 comment
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elkeOriginal
Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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I just had a friend put this in my hand with a glowing recommendation because we both loved The Lie Tree. Seems like it pubbed several years ago in the UK but this will be the first time in North America - coming May 2017.
The description sounds delightfully odd so this may find its way into the December TBR!
(The cover is just terrible though...)

RanaElizabeth This sounds amazing, I love Hardinge. 7y
24 likes1 stack add2 comments
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HiddenGemBooks
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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The people of the underground city of Caverna, are ordinary, except for one thing: their faces are blank. Expressions must be learned, and only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to show (or fake) joy, despair or fear - at a price.

Into this dark world comes Neverfell, a little girl with no memory of her past. Her emotions are as obvious on her face, and entirely genuine, which makes her very dangerous.

#TBR 😱📚

RanaElizabeth Frances Hardinge does some really amazing creepy stuff! 8y
Demelza This sounds amazing. Going straight on to the stack! 8y
alleyfam51699 I'm adding that to my TBR. It sounds great! 8y
See All 9 Comments
HiddenGemBooks @RanaElizabeth her imagination is something I will always envy! She's incredible 😊 8y
ItsAnotherJen Litsy is making my TBR list much more interesting! ☺ 8y
HiddenGemBooks @JenFowler right!? Thanks to Litsy, my taste in diverse genres has increased 10-fold! 8y
EllieC This looks fascinating! 8y
Chachic This was one of my favorite reads the year I read it! 8y
snowdrop @chachic ditto ^^ couldn't put it down! 8y
86 likes41 stack adds9 comments
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Tilly
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge
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Pickpick

I'm a big fan of Hardinge's writing and this is no exception. It starts in the cheese tunnels of Caverna and follows Neverfell on her adventures. A really fun, captivating book.

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Tilly
A Face Like Glass | Frances Hardinge

I got into Frances Hardinge via The Lie Tree, but I'd thoroughly recommend you check out both this and Cuckoo Song too. Really enjoying this. (Aren't holidays great? So much reading time!).