Gripping and riveting, a fictional retelling of the Salem witch trials from the perspective of a young girl and the devil himself. Award-winning au...
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Sep 23, 2011
Kita
rated it: 
This book is very internal (which is something I don't normally enjoy in a book) and yet I found myself liking it. I am very interested in any type of witch trial book, and having read quite a few, I didn't find this overly original (though I do understand that one only has so much to work with). The first two or three chapters were hooking and a little creepy, but the rest of the book just seems to go without much suspense. Although people were being accused of witchcraft and tried, I didn't fe
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Aug 10, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
I'm always wary of historical fiction in the YAF genre. Teens and pre-teens have so little grasp of what is really based in history and what is just a glamorized version of real historical events. With this in mind, I began this book with trepidation. Lidda is 14 years old and different than the other girls her age in the quiet good town of Salem, Massachusetts during the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials. While the other girls, including her sister, are concerned with being good, respectable,
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Jul 12, 2011
Emma
rated it:
To start off, this book presented a few challenges for me. I hesitated to pick it up because of the entire premise. I love historical fiction, but the Salem witch trials never really did it for me. I always found the delirium around those event so unappealing.
The events in Father of Lies were interesting in a different way than the usual paranoia. Lidda is so different than the other girls who are claiming witchcraft. She sees them as being attention-seeking, and using their More...
Apr 18, 2011
Sarai
rated it:
I wasn't sure what this book was trying to do at first. Eventually I decided the main character was bipolar or schizophrenic, which the author clarified at the end. Other than that the book is about the Salem Witch Trials, and it did have interesting bits of history of living in that time period. But I just couldn't get into it.
Product Description
Truth or Lies?
Lidda knew, with a clarity that was like a candle in a dark room, that all had changed; something was More...
Product Description
Truth or Lies?
Lidda knew, with a clarity that was like a candle in a dark room, that all had changed; something was More...
Jan 20, 2011
Kyleigh
rated it: 
Well as you probably already know I’m a total history fanatic. One subject I am particularly obsessed with is the Salem Witch Trials. With these particular novels I usually find that the MC is always more spirited and free minded than the rest of the village. Lidda fits this description but I think the author did a much better job really putting you into the time period than other novels. The one aspect that truly separates good historical fiction from the great is the ability to transport t
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Dec 04, 2010
It’s 1692 in Salem, MA and young girls are starting to have fits of hallucinations and sickness. They blame their maladies on witches, and it turns into a mass hysteria. The time, setting, and names will be familiar to anyone who has read about the Salem Witch Trials. Within this historical period, though, is a new player: Lidda. Lidda begins seeing and hearing the devil, but her experiences are different than the other girls in town. She questions her own sanity, and whether the rest of them ar
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Jan 23, 2011
Chelsea
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On the outside, Lidda appears to be normal. She tends to her baby brother Thomas and does chores with her sisters Charity and Susannah. On the inside, however, she is an absolute mess. After recently going through puberty, she begins hearing a voice speaking to her in her head. Terrified at first, she thinks this is the work of the Devil himself. But the voice calls himself Lucian, and he is both seductive and powerful. Then strange things begin to happen to other girls in her village. They have
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Jul 22, 2011
Alexandra
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This book was on the New Releases shelf at my library and so I decided to check it out. It seemed pretty creepy, judging by the book description. And the first couple of chapters were.
But then as I got farther into the story, it kind of reminded me of the Crucible. (If you've never read the Crucible, it is a play written by Arthur Miller that depicts the Salem Witch Trials.)
Father of Lies was very well researched by the author and included many of the people that were actually More...
But then as I got farther into the story, it kind of reminded me of the Crucible. (If you've never read the Crucible, it is a play written by Arthur Miller that depicts the Salem Witch Trials.)
Father of Lies was very well researched by the author and included many of the people that were actually More...
Nov 15, 2010
Close your eyes and think back to Salem, 1692. If you’re having a hard time, let me make it easier for you. The olden days, when you only got a bath every couple of weeks, if that. No heat, no electricity, no fast food. Yeah, that was a life that people really lived. A recent study shows that Christianity is decreasing at such a rate in the US that Atheists are actually outnumbering Christians. Also, not even a fact in 1692. Actually, religion and work were the two focuses of life at this time.
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Feb 07, 2011
Jess
rated it:
FATHER OF LIES, by Ann Turner dives into the time of the Salem Witch Trials and the hardships that every man, woman and child had to experience. I was almost instantly sucked in and it was hard to put down.
I have never read anything, other than textbooks about the Salem Witch Trials. I have been to Salem, and seen all the witch houses but reading this book I really felt like I was there. Turner uses subtle details that set the scene perfectly. I could feel the setting around me like I More...
I have never read anything, other than textbooks about the Salem Witch Trials. I have been to Salem, and seen all the witch houses but reading this book I really felt like I was there. Turner uses subtle details that set the scene perfectly. I could feel the setting around me like I More...
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Jan 29, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
Rating of a 4, but with reservations.
This was originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.
Father of Lies by Ann Turner is set in Colonial Massachusetts, just before the start of the Salem Witch Trials. 14 year old Lidda is struggling to find her place within her family and Salem Village. She's always been different. She's a dreamer who loves to dance beneath the trees and hates the restrictive garb she is required to wear but she lives in a More...
This was originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.
Father of Lies by Ann Turner is set in Colonial Massachusetts, just before the start of the Salem Witch Trials. 14 year old Lidda is struggling to find her place within her family and Salem Village. She's always been different. She's a dreamer who loves to dance beneath the trees and hates the restrictive garb she is required to wear but she lives in a More...
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Jun 02, 2011
Jess
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Mar 31, 2011
Karis (YA Litwit)
rated it:
I really liked this book. It seemed historically accurate and the author, aside from the protagonist and he family, used actual people involved in the Salem witch Trials. <spoiler>I also liked that, although from the beginning there was a paranormal feel, the author clarified at the end that there was no paranormal activity at all, but that the girl was actually suffering from hallucinations related to Bipolar Disorder (which didn't formally exist at the time).</spoiler> Overall,
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Apr 18, 2011
Laurie
rated it:
3.5 Stars
Throughout most of this book, I was kept off-balance and wondering what was really going on. The story is told through the perspective of an odd fourteen-year-old girl named Lidda, as she watches the seemingly orchestrated but chaotic rise of the Salem witch accusations.
I am a mature reader and frankly, I found this book disturbing on several levels. I am not convinced that I would encourage a teenager to tackle this subject. The whole mob mentality and the ex More...
Throughout most of this book, I was kept off-balance and wondering what was really going on. The story is told through the perspective of an odd fourteen-year-old girl named Lidda, as she watches the seemingly orchestrated but chaotic rise of the Salem witch accusations.
I am a mature reader and frankly, I found this book disturbing on several levels. I am not convinced that I would encourage a teenager to tackle this subject. The whole mob mentality and the ex More...
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Apr 08, 2011
Angela
rated it:
I'm kind of obsessed with the Salem Witch Trials, so I happily dived into this book. Came away feeling that it's enjoyable, but definitely could have gone on so much longer . It's just over 250 pages, but its dimensions are smaller than average - perhaps to make it look like it's longer?
Turner explores the first few months of witch histeria in Salem - we don't even make it to the first round of executions - through Lidda, a girl who is also seeing things and hearing voices. She's alw More...
Turner explores the first few months of witch histeria in Salem - we don't even make it to the first round of executions - through Lidda, a girl who is also seeing things and hearing voices. She's alw More...
May 23, 2011
Brooke
rated it: 
Lidda has the ability to sense when someone is telling the truth or a lie. She can't stand the confines that living in Salem forces upon her. She longs to leave Salem and go to a place where she can be free to express herself however she chooses. She may just get what she wishes when a string of witch accusations spreads through her village. She feels different inside, can hear a voice speaking to her in her head, and knows that the girls who accuse the villagers are lying. But how can Lid
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Feb 26, 2011
Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids
rated it:
3.5 stars
Father of Lies is the re-telling of the Salem Witch Trials, but with a few twists. Unlike some of the stories that are written surrounding this event, Ann Turner brings her story to life by keeping crucial historical parts of the story, as well as introducing a new perspective on these events. Keeping some of the names we've all read about it before, Ann introduces a fresh face to the story with her character Lidda. Ann not only puts Lidda at the center of the Witch Trails, bu More...
Father of Lies is the re-telling of the Salem Witch Trials, but with a few twists. Unlike some of the stories that are written surrounding this event, Ann Turner brings her story to life by keeping crucial historical parts of the story, as well as introducing a new perspective on these events. Keeping some of the names we've all read about it before, Ann introduces a fresh face to the story with her character Lidda. Ann not only puts Lidda at the center of the Witch Trails, bu More...
Feb 05, 2011
Jenny
rated it:
Review originally posted at: http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com/20...
MY THOUGHTS
Father of Lies serves as a reminder of the extreme consequences when a voice is lent to untruths, shedding light on a period of history when the thrill of power and control overwhelmed reason and morality, leaving good people swinging from the end of a rope while the accusers spouted venom followed by half-hearted apologies. The story transports us to the middle of a brutally cold Salem Village, t More...
MY THOUGHTS
Father of Lies serves as a reminder of the extreme consequences when a voice is lent to untruths, shedding light on a period of history when the thrill of power and control overwhelmed reason and morality, leaving good people swinging from the end of a rope while the accusers spouted venom followed by half-hearted apologies. The story transports us to the middle of a brutally cold Salem Village, t More...
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Feb 26, 2011
Katieb (MundieMoms)
rated it:
3.5 stars
Father of Lies is the re-telling of the Salem Witch Trials, but with a few twists. Unlike some of the stories that are written surrounding this event, Ann Turner brings her story to life by keeping crucial historical parts of the story, as well as introducing a new perspective on these events. Keeping some of the names we've all read about it before, Ann introduces a fresh face to the story with her character Lidda. Ann not only puts Lidda at the center of the Witch Trails, bu More...
Father of Lies is the re-telling of the Salem Witch Trials, but with a few twists. Unlike some of the stories that are written surrounding this event, Ann Turner brings her story to life by keeping crucial historical parts of the story, as well as introducing a new perspective on these events. Keeping some of the names we've all read about it before, Ann introduces a fresh face to the story with her character Lidda. Ann not only puts Lidda at the center of the Witch Trails, bu More...
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May 26, 2011
I reading about two things – the Salem Witch Trials and mental illness. Father of Lies combines them both, so I was bound to enjoy this book as much as I did.
Lidda was a great main character. I found her different than most of the female characters I’ve read about during time period. Lidda loves to do all the things that are looked down on in Salem. How dare a young woman want to dance! Absolutely shocking! Lidda definitely felt the confines of the expectations that were placed on he More...
Lidda was a great main character. I found her different than most of the female characters I’ve read about during time period. Lidda loves to do all the things that are looked down on in Salem. How dare a young woman want to dance! Absolutely shocking! Lidda definitely felt the confines of the expectations that were placed on he More...
Jan 06, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by Ashley B for TeensReadToo.com
Lidda lives in Salem Village with her family. She is different; she knows this, and so does everyone around her. She wishes of doing things that others have never dreamt of. She wants to dance and sing and fly with the birds. Her family just thinks she is crazy - maybe she will grow out of it.
And then there is talk around the village that the Devil has come. Witch fever.
Lidda doesn't believe any of it. And she has prove that More...
Lidda lives in Salem Village with her family. She is different; she knows this, and so does everyone around her. She wishes of doing things that others have never dreamt of. She wants to dance and sing and fly with the birds. Her family just thinks she is crazy - maybe she will grow out of it.
And then there is talk around the village that the Devil has come. Witch fever.
Lidda doesn't believe any of it. And she has prove that More...
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Feb 17, 2011
Rebecca
rated it:
It is the winter of 1692 in the village of Salem, Massachusetts. Fourteen-year-old Lidda Johnson has always felt different from everyone else in her strict Puritan village. She longs to dance and sing and be free. She also has hallucinations and hears a voice inside her, a voice that calls himself Lucian. She doesn't understand why this is happening to her and is afraid to tell anyone. Her family has always thought her a bit odd, and as her behavior becomes stranger, she struggles to hide it fro
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Feb 28, 2011
Julia
rated it:
The combination of a girl with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive) mixed in with the hysterical climate of the Salem Witch Trials period is an interesting and creative way to explore this period in history. Honestly, though, this book didn't excite me. There was nothing wrong with it, it just didn't personally move me. That said, the sense of a potentially supernatural being in the story could be a good way to grab reluctant students into a tale of historical fiction.
Aug 22, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
It was alright. Clear she did a nice amount of research but the story was a super easy read - I don't know...nothing special or significant really stands out for me. Read it in one sitting. The bipolar angle is interesting, but there must've been a whole lot of bipolar people running around in one village for all those delusions to take flight. Unlikely.
Mar 12, 2011
Briana
rated it:
Excerpt from my review below. To read my full, in-depth review, go here: http://thebookpixie.blogspot.com/2011/01...
"Darkly intriguing and keenly wrought, Father of Lies is an emotional and insightfully woven blend of historical fact and fiction...........................................
All in all, Father of Lies is a powerful story that shows just how dangerous the truth can sometimes be, especially when people would much rather believe the lies. Turner really did a More...
"Darkly intriguing and keenly wrought, Father of Lies is an emotional and insightfully woven blend of historical fact and fiction...........................................
All in all, Father of Lies is a powerful story that shows just how dangerous the truth can sometimes be, especially when people would much rather believe the lies. Turner really did a More...
Mar 27, 2011
Josie
rated it:
Good little ya historical fiction story. Focusing on the Salem witch trials as told through the eyes of Lidda who happens to be experiencing the first symptoms of bipolar disorder. Interesting look on how it would be treated in that era where no one would know what it was.
Apr 26, 2011
i believe this was an amazing tale. once i started reading it i was like "oh this book can't be that good" but i was so wrong the tale of her town of her people of the lies the secrets and the truth is a new way to tell the facts of the witch fever
Jun 07, 2011
Kylie
rated it:
Although I gave this book 4 stars, I really think the author should have done her research--all the stuff on the Witch Trials was good, but to someone who has been in college psychology and is going for a counseling/psych major, Lidda's problem was definately NOT bipolar disorder as the author states. It was schizophrenia.
Jan 23, 2012
Sheryl
rated it:
I couldn't really get into this one; historical fiction set in the Salem Witch Trials era. Lidda has several friends who are "possessed" by witches and she herself is hearing voices. An author's note explains that Lidda suffers from bipolar disorder but that is pretty unclear.
