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smallhawk's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, so first of all I was a little thrown off by this book because I had been led to believe that the two main characters were going to end up in a lesbian relationship. So, let me just start off by saying that is not the case and this is not that kind of book. Once I understood that, I really enjoyed the book. It's a good story about female friendship and traveling the Oregon Trail to freedom. I was thoroughly impressed with all the historical information that went into the novel. The leading "ladies" were decent and I did find myself rooting for them to achieve their goals but they could have been rounded out a bit more. The boys felt pretty flat. My favorite part of the book? When they meet up with a midwife who provides them with better undergarments for riding horses as a female and also supplies to assist with their "monthlies." Thank you for addressing the nagging question of how the heck this two girls were going to successfully pretend to be boys while traveling an open trail Westward with three boys and not have to address bleeding each month, because clearly this trip is going to take longer than a month.
caitcoy's review against another edition
4.0
Father told me not to brood when people judged me for my wrapper, not my filling, or I would spend my whole life in the steamer.
I've read a fair amount in the young adult genre but it's not often that a historical fiction novel so completely captures my attention and my heart. Under a Painted Sky is a brilliantly researched story about losing everything and the salvation of friendship against the backdrop of the Oregon Trail and the California Gold Rush.
The story of Under a Painted Sky is the story of an unlikely friendship. Running from the law, a young Chinese-American girl named Samantha journeys west with a runaway slave named Annamae. In order to escape undetected, the girls become boys and take on the names of Sammy and Andy. At first they struggle along the trail on their own but eventually they cross paths with a band of cowboys and bonds of trust and experience begin to grow between the young people. But as the law starts to close in on them, Sammy and Andy must choose who they can trust and which relationships they are willing to bet their lives on in their quest to make it to California.
Without a doubt, the greatest strengths of Under a Painted Sky are the research done by the author and the friendship she builds between Sammy and Andy. I'll tackle the former first. Our class was lucky enough to have Stacey Lee speak to us over Skype (which was an amazing experience) and she mentioned that several years of research went into writing the book. It truly shows. There are some YA historical fiction stories in which the history feels like a backdrop rather than an integral part of the story. Not so with Under a Painted Sky. This is particularly impressive given that Sammy and Andy come from minority cultures that are often overlooked, particularly in YA fiction. Instead, Lee put in time reading pioneer diaries and former slave memoirs as well as history books and the result is that it feels like living, breathing history. Under a Painted Sky doesn't feel like it's trying to teach history so much as it's making the history a living part of the story and it fully immerses the reader into it.
And the friendship between the girls was amazing. Sammy and Andy come from very different backgrounds with very different outlooks on life and plans. Yet circumstances bring them together and their mutual outsider status helps to cement the bond between them. By the end, they're more sisters than friends or companions. The personal growth throughout the book was both impressive and compelling.
If you need a YA historical fiction to read or recommend, Under a Painted Sky should be at the top of the list! I hadn't read anything by Stacey Lee before and heard relatively little about this title last year but it was seriously impressive and I will certainly be picking up anything written by her in the future.
I've read a fair amount in the young adult genre but it's not often that a historical fiction novel so completely captures my attention and my heart. Under a Painted Sky is a brilliantly researched story about losing everything and the salvation of friendship against the backdrop of the Oregon Trail and the California Gold Rush.
The story of Under a Painted Sky is the story of an unlikely friendship. Running from the law, a young Chinese-American girl named Samantha journeys west with a runaway slave named Annamae. In order to escape undetected, the girls become boys and take on the names of Sammy and Andy. At first they struggle along the trail on their own but eventually they cross paths with a band of cowboys and bonds of trust and experience begin to grow between the young people. But as the law starts to close in on them, Sammy and Andy must choose who they can trust and which relationships they are willing to bet their lives on in their quest to make it to California.
Without a doubt, the greatest strengths of Under a Painted Sky are the research done by the author and the friendship she builds between Sammy and Andy. I'll tackle the former first. Our class was lucky enough to have Stacey Lee speak to us over Skype (which was an amazing experience) and she mentioned that several years of research went into writing the book. It truly shows. There are some YA historical fiction stories in which the history feels like a backdrop rather than an integral part of the story. Not so with Under a Painted Sky. This is particularly impressive given that Sammy and Andy come from minority cultures that are often overlooked, particularly in YA fiction. Instead, Lee put in time reading pioneer diaries and former slave memoirs as well as history books and the result is that it feels like living, breathing history. Under a Painted Sky doesn't feel like it's trying to teach history so much as it's making the history a living part of the story and it fully immerses the reader into it.
And the friendship between the girls was amazing. Sammy and Andy come from very different backgrounds with very different outlooks on life and plans. Yet circumstances bring them together and their mutual outsider status helps to cement the bond between them. By the end, they're more sisters than friends or companions. The personal growth throughout the book was both impressive and compelling.
If you need a YA historical fiction to read or recommend, Under a Painted Sky should be at the top of the list! I hadn't read anything by Stacey Lee before and heard relatively little about this title last year but it was seriously impressive and I will certainly be picking up anything written by her in the future.
carrrissa's review against another edition
3.4. Would be higher but, honestly, it just felt a longer than it needed to be by the time I got to the ending. The descriptive writing style is really beautiful, and I loved the conversation between Western Christian and Chinese beliefs and traditions. The episodic exploits in the wild west tie together really nicely, and Sammy and Andy's friendship is something special.
noirbettie's review against another edition
5.0
This books has the epic feel of Lonesome Dove, but instead of meeting Gus and Call when they’ve been family for decades, we meet Sammy and Andy as they become family (and the cowboys, too).
jennchandler's review against another edition
5.0
This was delightful, and it just got better as it went along.
cammmiam's review against another edition
4.0
I am so torn. As you will go on to see from my review, there are many aspects of this book that I enjoyed tremendously. While on the other hand the relationship between two main characters left me puzzled.
But let us start with the good: this book is an adventure! Samantha is an Asian-American young girl living in Missouri with her father; early in the story a tragedy occurs, which leaves her a criminal wanted by the law and on the run with her father’s landlord’s slave, Annamae. With the road to the Oregon Trail practically on their front door step, these two decide to try their luck on the road, dressed as boys and going by the names Sammy and Andy, to find their fate and future. Along the way they come to join up with a trio of young cowboys who become their friends and family.
I could feel the heat and the dust of the road. The fear of being discovered at locations on the trail heavily populated by people was palpable. Whether it be the sound of Sammy’s music on the violin or the rope around the characters at night, all of the elements came together to place me amongst this cast and thus have me be heavily invested in them. I cannot say enough about how each of these characters grows on you over time. Nor can I applaud the author enough for not only offering a YA story set in a completely different setting than is popular within the genre (on the Oregon Trail), but for offering such a racially diverse cast of characters who learn about each other, teach each other, and are accepting of cultures.
As for what I did not like: the romance. No matter how often I have pondered this story upon its completion there continues to be no way for me to reconcile my confusion. Why did Sammy even like West, or vice versa? It seemed as if they could barely speak most of the time as he was continuously frowning. At first I thought it was for a specific reason, yet that was disproved at the end. So what was the deal? How could supposed love grow out of this situation truthfully? Why was West always scowling at her in the first place – because she is Chinese? I need answers. I needed to feel this romance as well as I was able to feel everything else within the story; otherwise, the romance feels contrived and the distance lingers.
But let us start with the good: this book is an adventure! Samantha is an Asian-American young girl living in Missouri with her father; early in the story a tragedy occurs, which leaves her a criminal wanted by the law and on the run with her father’s landlord’s slave, Annamae. With the road to the Oregon Trail practically on their front door step, these two decide to try their luck on the road, dressed as boys and going by the names Sammy and Andy, to find their fate and future. Along the way they come to join up with a trio of young cowboys who become their friends and family.
I could feel the heat and the dust of the road. The fear of being discovered at locations on the trail heavily populated by people was palpable. Whether it be the sound of Sammy’s music on the violin or the rope around the characters at night, all of the elements came together to place me amongst this cast and thus have me be heavily invested in them. I cannot say enough about how each of these characters grows on you over time. Nor can I applaud the author enough for not only offering a YA story set in a completely different setting than is popular within the genre (on the Oregon Trail), but for offering such a racially diverse cast of characters who learn about each other, teach each other, and are accepting of cultures.
As for what I did not like: the romance. No matter how often I have pondered this story upon its completion there continues to be no way for me to reconcile my confusion. Why did Sammy even like West, or vice versa? It seemed as if they could barely speak most of the time as he was continuously frowning. At first I thought it was for a specific reason, yet that was disproved at the end. So what was the deal? How could supposed love grow out of this situation truthfully? Why was West always scowling at her in the first place – because she is Chinese? I need answers. I needed to feel this romance as well as I was able to feel everything else within the story; otherwise, the romance feels contrived and the distance lingers.
entirelyashley's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at about 65%.
I wanted to like this book. Really, really wanted to. It started out so well, but at some point I was ready for them to get off the trail already and do something more. I slogged through more trail stories to see if it would get better, but I couldn't go any further.
I'm not quick to DNF a book, but I just couldn't foresee myself getting to a point where I cared about the characters or their outcomes anymore.
I wanted to like this book. Really, really wanted to. It started out so well, but at some point I was ready for them to get off the trail already and do something more. I slogged through more trail stories to see if it would get better, but I couldn't go any further.
I'm not quick to DNF a book, but I just couldn't foresee myself getting to a point where I cared about the characters or their outcomes anymore.