Scan barcode
notesonbookmarks's review against another edition
5.0
This is fantastic YA historical fiction. So glad I binged it with RTDB Club!
molly_dettmann's review against another edition
4.0
Samantha (now Sammy) and Annamae (now Andy) disguise themselves as boys and head west after Samantha fights back against a gross landowner who tries to take advantage of her shortly after her father dies. To make matters more complicated, Samantha is Chinese and Annamae is a runaway slave, making this a refreshing story told from heroines that you don't typically see as the main characters of a Western. I love Samantha and Annamae! They are two YA ladies I wish I could be best friends with and go on adventures. I really enjoyed the action, adventure, and exploration of prejudice in the 1800s. The band of cowboys the girls hitch a ride with are a group of guys anyone would want to explore the wild west with. As they face not only the obstacles of evading the bounty on their heads, but the dangers of the Wild West, you will fall in love with this adventure of two unlikely traveling companions. Their friendship is the heart of the story, and shines through at the best of times. It does drag in some places like most Westerns with a lot of traveling do, but this is one book that I could not put down.
jennyseiler's review against another edition
2.0
Oy. I am having a hard time with this one. There are so many glowing reviews for this book that I really feel like I've missed something or that I am missing out on something... but I just didn't get this book.
The premise is interesting. A YA novel set during the Gold Rush. The two main characters (Samantha and Annamae) are each escaping their past, and in order to do so they must disguise themselves as boys (Sammy and Andy) headed to California.
But...there were so many parts that just felt too cliche and far-fetched for me. I think my turning point where I couldn't take the book as seriously as I wanted was when I learned the names of the cowboys that Sammy and Andy encounter. Cay - short for Cayenne Pepper and their wrangler - Pedro Henando Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria Gonzalez, who prefers to be called Petey. After that, it was all downhill.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.
The premise is interesting. A YA novel set during the Gold Rush. The two main characters (Samantha and Annamae) are each escaping their past, and in order to do so they must disguise themselves as boys (Sammy and Andy) headed to California.
But...there were so many parts that just felt too cliche and far-fetched for me. I think my turning point where I couldn't take the book as seriously as I wanted was when I learned the names of the cowboys that Sammy and Andy encounter. Cay - short for Cayenne Pepper and their wrangler - Pedro Henando Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria Gonzalez, who prefers to be called Petey. After that, it was all downhill.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.
kiperoo's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a sucker for historicals, and Stacey Lee nails this one with such authentically-voiced characters I'd follow anywhere. Love the friendship between the girls (and the boys!) and seeing how they survive all the terrible obstacles they meet. Once I finally found the time to read, I couldn't put it down!
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
I've never been much of a gamer, but I absolutely loved playing Oregon Trail when I was in grade school. Many kids of my generation have fond memories of sitting in front of an Apple IIe or similarly cutting-edge, mouse-less computer and trying our luck at virtual pioneering. You could choose to be a wealthy banker and outfit your wagon with as many supplies as your oxen could carry, but that didn't prevent Mary from getting snakebit or John from developing dysentery. The Trail was ruthless, favoring only the strong (and those with the dexterity to shoot pixellated rabbits).
What if, instead of setting out on the Oregon Trail with a fully stocked wagon, you were a young Chinese-American girl on the run from the law, accompanied only by an escaped slave girl and your treasured violin? In Under a Painted Sky, Stacey Lee transforms the usual “heading West” narrative, imbuing it with some much-needed diversity and freshness.
Samantha lives with her father in Missouri, where they operate a general store and scrape out a modest living in their adopted home country. But everything changes for Sam in a single, terrible day, and she is forced to leave town and elude the authorities who would apprehend her. She meets Annamae, a slave girl trying to reach freedom and reunite with her brothers, and the two decide to stick together and help each other out. Dressed as boys and calling themselves Sammy and Andy, they head West, claiming to be joining in on the gold rush.
Their disguises are put to the test when they encounter a group of cowboys headed in their same direction. Sammy and Andy decide they'll be able to make faster progress if they travel on horseback with the boys, but it's a delicate balancing act to keep their true identities a secret. Of course, the Trail poses its own dangers, and the band of travelers will come up against some very real threats.
Lee really builds the suspense as the end of the book approaches, and she doesn't shy away from depicting the sometimes brutal reality of pioneer life. I was invested in all the characters and could hardly wait to find out how—or if—they would survive the journey. I've read a couple really good YA selections this year, and Under a Painted Sky belongs high on the list. It has the perfect combination of adventure, history, culture, and even a little romance. Great summer reading.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
What if, instead of setting out on the Oregon Trail with a fully stocked wagon, you were a young Chinese-American girl on the run from the law, accompanied only by an escaped slave girl and your treasured violin? In Under a Painted Sky, Stacey Lee transforms the usual “heading West” narrative, imbuing it with some much-needed diversity and freshness.
Samantha lives with her father in Missouri, where they operate a general store and scrape out a modest living in their adopted home country. But everything changes for Sam in a single, terrible day, and she is forced to leave town and elude the authorities who would apprehend her. She meets Annamae, a slave girl trying to reach freedom and reunite with her brothers, and the two decide to stick together and help each other out. Dressed as boys and calling themselves Sammy and Andy, they head West, claiming to be joining in on the gold rush.
Their disguises are put to the test when they encounter a group of cowboys headed in their same direction. Sammy and Andy decide they'll be able to make faster progress if they travel on horseback with the boys, but it's a delicate balancing act to keep their true identities a secret. Of course, the Trail poses its own dangers, and the band of travelers will come up against some very real threats.
Lee really builds the suspense as the end of the book approaches, and she doesn't shy away from depicting the sometimes brutal reality of pioneer life. I was invested in all the characters and could hardly wait to find out how—or if—they would survive the journey. I've read a couple really good YA selections this year, and Under a Painted Sky belongs high on the list. It has the perfect combination of adventure, history, culture, and even a little romance. Great summer reading.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
hannchilada's review against another edition
5.0
Stacey Lee is my hero. A whole queen, if you will. I've read The Downstairs Girl before, but this book, despite having a similar historical premise, managed to be completely different…and I loved it.
Still, it was clear to me that this book was an earlier publication of Lee's. There were a lot of nitpicky editor things that I pompously noticed, and will quickly review for all of you detail-oriented snobs like me out there: Her introduction of the Chinese zodiac and its themes were introduced in clearly unnatural ways, leaving it to feel shoehorned in, especially in the beginning. The ending had a touch too many climaxes, leaving a hiccupping feeling. The beginning and the ending didn't feel as connected as some more polished books do, and I had beef with the little dream sequence at the end.
BUT. I adored this book, you guys. Probably far more than I adored Downstairs Girl. My main problem with The Downstairs Girl was its idealism and failure to fully address hard subjects. Under a Painted Sky did not disappoint me in that regard. It was full of the realities of life as a slave and as a Chinese American in the mid-1800s. I really relished the mature but positive perspective it provided, and I love Lee's introduction of representation into historical fiction.
The dynamic of all of the characters is beautiful as well. I could read about Andy all day, don't even get me started. And the relationships within the remuda made me laugh and made me cry. It was beautiful to follow these five young people through a series of interesting vignettes, and Lee's charming voice was the unassuming cherry on top.
So yeah, though The Downstairs Girl is getting all the press, but I would absolutely recommend picking up this less-noticed diamond hiding in the rough. Or maybe that's just my passionate and strong dragon side coming through…
Read more reviews at my blog, Hardcovered by Hannah!
Still, it was clear to me that this book was an earlier publication of Lee's. There were a lot of nitpicky editor things that I pompously noticed, and will quickly review for all of you detail-oriented snobs like me out there: Her introduction of the Chinese zodiac and its themes were introduced in clearly unnatural ways, leaving it to feel shoehorned in, especially in the beginning. The ending had a touch too many climaxes, leaving a hiccupping feeling. The beginning and the ending didn't feel as connected as some more polished books do, and I had beef with the little dream sequence at the end.
BUT. I adored this book, you guys. Probably far more than I adored Downstairs Girl. My main problem with The Downstairs Girl was its idealism and failure to fully address hard subjects. Under a Painted Sky did not disappoint me in that regard. It was full of the realities of life as a slave and as a Chinese American in the mid-1800s. I really relished the mature but positive perspective it provided, and I love Lee's introduction of representation into historical fiction.
The dynamic of all of the characters is beautiful as well. I could read about Andy all day, don't even get me started. And the relationships within the remuda made me laugh and made me cry. It was beautiful to follow these five young people through a series of interesting vignettes, and Lee's charming voice was the unassuming cherry on top.
So yeah, though The Downstairs Girl is getting all the press, but I would absolutely recommend picking up this less-noticed diamond hiding in the rough. Or maybe that's just my passionate and strong dragon side coming through…
Read more reviews at my blog, Hardcovered by Hannah!
crystal_reading's review against another edition
Review Copy: ARC via Publisher
See review at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2015/02/review-under-a-painted-sky/
See review at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2015/02/review-under-a-painted-sky/
paperschemes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
ihateava's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0