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A Face Like Glass

By Frances Hardinge
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Check link for latest rating. ( 9,058 ratings, 1,517 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge is a captivating tale set in the underground city of Caverna, where artisans create exquisite flavours, memories, and facial expressions. The protagonist, a girl named Neverfell, navigates a society where faces must be taught and deception is an art. As she embarks on a journey to uncover secrets and mysteries, she discovers the true power of expression and the fight for freedom and identity.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This enchanting tale might captivate you if you're fond of imaginative worlds and complex, richly detailed narratives. It weaves an intriguing story set in an underground city where faces are carefully controlled, promising mystery and adventure. Ideal for those who enjoy exploring themes of identity and freedom through fantastical lenses.

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A Face Like Glass is an astonishing and imaginative novel from the Costa Award winning author of The Lie Tree, Frances Hardinge.

A Face Like Glass is an astonishing and imaginative novel from the Costa Award winning author of The Lie Tree, Frances Hardinge.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

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 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...

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge is often praised in reviews for its rich, imaginative setting and unique premise. Readers appreciate the intricate world-building where facial expressions are a commodity, and characters' emotions are tightly controlled. The story's lush prose and nuanced characters make it a captivating read, appealing to both children and adults alike. Hardinge's ability to weave an enchanting and thought-provoking narrative has been highly commended.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781509868131

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 February 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Macmillan Children's Books

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 131.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 360g

Pages: 512

Collections

Children's Books Children's Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Frances Hardinge Hannah's Picks Young Adult

About the Author

Frances Hardinge spent her childhood in a huge old house that inspired her to write strange stories from an early age. She read English at Oxford University, then got a job at a software company. However, by this time a persistent friend had finally managed to bully Frances into sending a few chapters of Fly By Night, her first children's novel, to a publisher. Macmillan made her an immediate offer. The book went on to publish to huge critical acclaim and win the Branford Boase First Novel Award. Known for her beautiful use of language, she has since written many critically acclaimed novels, including Verdigris Deep, Cuckoo Song, and the Costa Award-winning The Lie Tree.

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