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earthgirl207's review against another edition
3.0
This is a story about two girls (one Chinese American, one African American) disguised as boys, on the run from the law on the Oregon Trail, who fall in with a friendly band of cowboys. So, basically my jam. But though the story kept me engrossed and I finished it in three days, there were a few elements that keep me from loving it.
1) a large part of the conflict could have been resolved by Just Talking To Each Other, a pet peeve of mine.
2) the romance ended up being the kind where there is a lot of staring and longing and not a lot of actually getting together until late in the story. Which I remember being very much a YA thing, and maybe if I was still in that demographic I wouldn't mind. But I've gotten used to adult romances where a large element of the story is the couple learning how to function together and getting to know each other, so I kept yelling at the knuckleheads to just TALK TO EACH OTHER so that they could start facing their problems together and be a team (see item 1).
3) many elements of the plot seemed contrived, like characters reacted a certain way or received helpful items because that would drive the plot forward, not because it made organic sense.
Overall, a fun, engaging read, though, and it was refreshing to read a story that reflected the diversity of the Old West.
1) a large part of the conflict could have been resolved by Just Talking To Each Other, a pet peeve of mine.
2) the romance ended up being the kind where there is a lot of staring and longing and not a lot of actually getting together until late in the story. Which I remember being very much a YA thing, and maybe if I was still in that demographic I wouldn't mind. But I've gotten used to adult romances where a large element of the story is the couple learning how to function together and getting to know each other, so I kept yelling at the knuckleheads to just TALK TO EACH OTHER so that they could start facing their problems together and be a team (see item 1).
3) many elements of the plot seemed contrived, like characters reacted a certain way or received helpful items because that would drive the plot forward, not because it made organic sense.
Overall, a fun, engaging read, though, and it was refreshing to read a story that reflected the diversity of the Old West.
emtheworld's review against another edition
2.0
The premise of the book was interesting at first but unfortunately it didn’t meet my expectations. I did not care about the characters at all so right off the bat I knew this was not going to end well. Samantha as a protagonist bothered me sometimes, especially when the romance aspect came into play (which is also another thing I dislike about the book bc it was really unnecessary IMO) and I felt like this would be way more interesting had it been written in Annamae’s perspective. As for the reading experience, I felt myself skimming over the paragraphs because the writing style was too dense and I just got bored of it. However one of the redeeming qualities of this book is that I really liked Annamae and Samantha’s friendship because it was evident how much their relationship has evolved from something circumstantial to a close bond. I enjoyed their dynamic and it was really heartwarming to see these two girls confide and rely on each other throughout the story. Overall, wouldn’t necessarily recommend, but if you do want to read, I recommend an audiobook—save yourself the pain.
oofsharkz73's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"'God makes our bodies want to live, no matter what our minds want to do.'"
"I've known Annamae for less than a day, yet I feel bonded to her in the way common suffering can knit two souls together. Or maybe it's just my small spleen talking. People with small spleens are notoriously cowardly."
"Maybe what matters is not so much the path as who walks beside you."
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee was a book that accomplished an amazing feat by making way into my top 5 -maybe even top 3- all time favorites. Lee manages to put so much substance into a book with less than 400 pages. It's not often that a book will truly have me laughing and crying with its characters, but this 1800s western tale did just that. The plight of being a minority and fugitive on the Oregon Trail, the developed sisterhood, the brooding of forbidden love...all written with perfect measurements of humor and sentiment. I can't put into words how much I loved this book.
"I've known Annamae for less than a day, yet I feel bonded to her in the way common suffering can knit two souls together. Or maybe it's just my small spleen talking. People with small spleens are notoriously cowardly."
"Maybe what matters is not so much the path as who walks beside you."
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee was a book that accomplished an amazing feat by making way into my top 5 -maybe even top 3- all time favorites. Lee manages to put so much substance into a book with less than 400 pages. It's not often that a book will truly have me laughing and crying with its characters, but this 1800s western tale did just that. The plight of being a minority and fugitive on the Oregon Trail, the developed sisterhood, the brooding of forbidden love...all written with perfect measurements of humor and sentiment. I can't put into words how much I loved this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Racism, Death of parent, and Grief
czargasm's review against another edition
4.0
There were definitely lots of stumbling blocks to get over (plot holes and melodrama to begin with), but 19th century interracial female friendship adventures more than made up for it.
evelikesbooks's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
littleyarngoblin's review against another edition
3.0
Under A Painted Sky is DEFINITELY a book to pick up. The characters are so well developed. Character interactions are treat, but what I really loved was the plot. It's not what you expect and there aren't parts where it seems to slow down or become stagnant. Under A Painted Sky is probably one of my favorite books for this year.
epilieaspiechick's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
This is a slow paced book for sure. Too slow for me to really keep my interest.
sidnarwhal's review against another edition
5.0
I guess 2016 is shaping up to be the Year of Reading Books about the Wild West. I don't mind. I've recently gotten into this genre and I'm quite liking it. This book definitely stands out though. It's really nice to read about minorities and take a peek into what their lives must have been like. Very interesting to note the comparisons between then and now too. This book is a bit tame, of course, what I imagine life truly must have been like for Chinese and African girls is probably a lot more harsh than described. This book only scratches the surface, but does so beautifully. The writing was very poetic, very wonderfully descriptive. Definitely would recommend.