Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I was really excited to start this one, because I'm a HUGE fan of the author's previous trilogy, The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Rae Carson is an amazing author, but this book just left me...unsatisfied, somehow. Maybe it's because I kept comparing the cast to all my favorite characters from The Girl of Fire and Thorns, and they came up short. I wonder if I would've liked Walk on Earth a Stranger better if I'd read it first.
The novel, which is set during the great gold rush of 1849, centers around a teenage farm girl named Leah. She's solid, diligent, and not afraid to get her hands dirty with hard labor - but she has a secret. Leah was born with the ability to sense gold in the world around her. It's a dangerous power that many people would not hesitate to exploit...a fact which becomes painfully clear after her uncle murders her mother and father so that he can gain custody of her. Disguised as a boy, she runs west, heading for California, and most of the book consists of her journey from Georgia to the west coast. After she leaves home, the plot essentially turns into a game of Oregon Trail: Leah travels, there is trouble. More traveling, more trouble. Cholera strikes, and women die in childbirth. Kids go missing. People are racist and sexist. A buffalo stampede wrecks the camp. The settlers encounter Indians. The preacher pontificates. The obstacles that Leah encounters are realistic and accurately depict what it was like to journey through America in the 1840s, but...after awhile, I just lost interest. I've read too many stories like this, too many accounts of pioneers traveling across the prairies in search of a better life out west. It didn't help that Leah's magical gold-dousing gift didn't really affect the plot too much, although I assume it will become more important in the sequels.
The book did a good job of crafting that sense of fleeting connection you get when you travel - of people passing in and out of your life, many never to be seen again. A lot of the character archetypes felt familiar, a fact which worked to the book's benefit and detriment simultaneously. On the pro side, these stock chars immediately reminded me of people I've met in real life, lending the story a feeling of authenticity. On the con side, they felt rather two-dimensional. The characters, I think, were the weakest part of this novel. I wanted to like Leah, and I did like her, I guess. There was nothing to dislike about her. I just couldn't connect with her the way I did with Elisa, the protagonist of Carson's previous trilogy. She wasn't memorable or complex, and she lacked the kind of flaws that make pique my interest. Her best friend, Jefferson, was all right too - reliable and supportive - but their conversations were never long enough to properly convey their past relationship and growing romance. The dialogue was pretty much devoid of humor, which is too bad, because I know Rae Carson is capable of crafting hilarious one-liners.
Anyway, I'd rate this book 3/5 stars. On a technical level, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it: it's well-written and well-researched. It just lacks a certain spark.
The novel, which is set during the great gold rush of 1849, centers around a teenage farm girl named Leah. She's solid, diligent, and not afraid to get her hands dirty with hard labor - but she has a secret. Leah was born with the ability to sense gold in the world around her. It's a dangerous power that many people would not hesitate to exploit...a fact which becomes painfully clear after her uncle murders her mother and father so that he can gain custody of her. Disguised as a boy, she runs west, heading for California, and most of the book consists of her journey from Georgia to the west coast. After she leaves home, the plot essentially turns into a game of Oregon Trail: Leah travels, there is trouble. More traveling, more trouble. Cholera strikes, and women die in childbirth. Kids go missing. People are racist and sexist. A buffalo stampede wrecks the camp. The settlers encounter Indians. The preacher pontificates. The obstacles that Leah encounters are realistic and accurately depict what it was like to journey through America in the 1840s, but...after awhile, I just lost interest. I've read too many stories like this, too many accounts of pioneers traveling across the prairies in search of a better life out west. It didn't help that Leah's magical gold-dousing gift didn't really affect the plot too much, although I assume it will become more important in the sequels.
The book did a good job of crafting that sense of fleeting connection you get when you travel - of people passing in and out of your life, many never to be seen again. A lot of the character archetypes felt familiar, a fact which worked to the book's benefit and detriment simultaneously. On the pro side, these stock chars immediately reminded me of people I've met in real life, lending the story a feeling of authenticity. On the con side, they felt rather two-dimensional. The characters, I think, were the weakest part of this novel. I wanted to like Leah, and I did like her, I guess. There was nothing to dislike about her. I just couldn't connect with her the way I did with Elisa, the protagonist of Carson's previous trilogy. She wasn't memorable or complex, and she lacked the kind of flaws that make pique my interest. Her best friend, Jefferson, was all right too - reliable and supportive - but their conversations were never long enough to properly convey their past relationship and growing romance. The dialogue was pretty much devoid of humor, which is too bad, because I know Rae Carson is capable of crafting hilarious one-liners.
Anyway, I'd rate this book 3/5 stars. On a technical level, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it: it's well-written and well-researched. It just lacks a certain spark.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The this book was incredible slow. Mainly it’s the main characters journey across the US during the gold rush era as she flees from the uncle that murdered her family. She also has some ability to sense gold but it isn’t delved into too much. Once again if I wasn’t doing this book for a readathon and listening to the audio I probably would have DNF’d.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
This book was pretty boring and anti-climactic. Yeah.
I enjoyed that. It wasn't the most exciting thing I've read, but it was well-written and obviously well-researched. I'm a huge fan of Rae's other series, so I trust that this book, which is mostly journey and character development, will lead to more plot and adventure in future books.
I recommended that my local library purchase this book quite a while ago. Then, I got a phone call saying the books I put on hold were in. Imagine how surprised I was to learn that this was one of them!
Even though I have been staying pretty busy with my grad school classes and teaching, I made time for this book. Walk on Earth a Stranger chronicles Leah Westfall’s westward journey from Georgia to the California Gold Rush. It isn’t going to be easy to get there, but Lee is determined to make her own future in California far from her scheming uncle.
Lee is strong and doesn’t know the meaning of giving up. She’ll do whatever it takes and whatever has to be done. It is because of her drive to succeed that she disguises herself as a boy to make the trip to California.
Jefferson is Lee’s best friend, but he left town without her. He said he would wait awhile in Independence for her in case she should decide to follow. Lee doesn’t know how long he’ll wait for her but she knows she will need to find him. She needs to be able to trust at least one person.
I really liked this story of a girl in 1849 who refuses to let others decide the path for her life. She is independent and stubborn. She has an end goal in mind and she will do anything, fight any fight, to get there.
In all, Walk on Earth a Stranger was a great book and I can’t wait to read Like a River Glorious.
This review first appeared at Orandi et Legendi.
Even though I have been staying pretty busy with my grad school classes and teaching, I made time for this book. Walk on Earth a Stranger chronicles Leah Westfall’s westward journey from Georgia to the California Gold Rush. It isn’t going to be easy to get there, but Lee is determined to make her own future in California far from her scheming uncle.
Lee is strong and doesn’t know the meaning of giving up. She’ll do whatever it takes and whatever has to be done. It is because of her drive to succeed that she disguises herself as a boy to make the trip to California.
Jefferson is Lee’s best friend, but he left town without her. He said he would wait awhile in Independence for her in case she should decide to follow. Lee doesn’t know how long he’ll wait for her but she knows she will need to find him. She needs to be able to trust at least one person.
I really liked this story of a girl in 1849 who refuses to let others decide the path for her life. She is independent and stubborn. She has an end goal in mind and she will do anything, fight any fight, to get there.
In all, Walk on Earth a Stranger was a great book and I can’t wait to read Like a River Glorious.
This review first appeared at Orandi et Legendi.
Initially, I became interested in this book because of it's beautiful title and cover, and I was intrigued by the idea of the ability to sense gold. I then put it aside after reading some lukewarm reviews and also just a personal meh feeling about pioneering American settings. I picked it up again on a whim and I was so pleasantly surprised.
This book tells the story of a girl during the California Gold Rush who has the ability to sense and locate gold, with this first book focusing primarily on the struggle of her migration from Georgia to California.
This book just felt so nostalgic to my elementary years. I went through a period of pretty intense obsession with the [b:Little House on the Prairie|77767|Little House on the Prairie (Little House, #2)|Laura Ingalls Wilder|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1441903581s/77767.jpg|2884161] books (and also books like [b:Julie of the Wolves|386286|Julie of the Wolves (Julie of the Wolves, #1)|Jean Craighead George|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388349798s/386286.jpg|778444] and [b:The Call of the Wild/White Fang|37677|The Call of the Wild/White Fang|Jack London|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1168977937s/37677.jpg|6180419] which aren't strictly about pioneering but have that American wilderness setting) and also like pretty much everyone else in my generation in the U.S., I loved The Oregon Trail. For some reason though as I've gotten older I've come to have pretty lukewarm feelings about historical American settings, and that's a pretty large part of why I haven't been able to get into [b:Drums of Autumn|10988|Drums of Autumn (Outlander, #4)|Diana Gabaldon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388191458s/10988.jpg|3123704] from the Outlander series. This book has cured me of that though, and now I feel like I'll have to give Drums another shot.
I especially loved the main character, Leah. She's just so cool and badass in her own way, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to keep herself and those she cares about alive. At the same time, she is often scared and anxious, which makes her more relatable and further highlights her courage. And her friendship/slight romance with Jeff is just so adorable. They are just so sweet and innocent together, which is just so cute to read about after reading so many "sexier" YA fantasies.
The whole premise of the ability to sense gold is just so interesting, and I really hope that it gets fleshed out in the sequels. There are some hints of people with the ability to sense water and other things, so my interest is very piqued and I am generally intrigued to continue with this series.
This book tells the story of a girl during the California Gold Rush who has the ability to sense and locate gold, with this first book focusing primarily on the struggle of her migration from Georgia to California.
This book just felt so nostalgic to my elementary years. I went through a period of pretty intense obsession with the [b:Little House on the Prairie|77767|Little House on the Prairie (Little House, #2)|Laura Ingalls Wilder|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1441903581s/77767.jpg|2884161] books (and also books like [b:Julie of the Wolves|386286|Julie of the Wolves (Julie of the Wolves, #1)|Jean Craighead George|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388349798s/386286.jpg|778444] and [b:The Call of the Wild/White Fang|37677|The Call of the Wild/White Fang|Jack London|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1168977937s/37677.jpg|6180419] which aren't strictly about pioneering but have that American wilderness setting) and also like pretty much everyone else in my generation in the U.S., I loved The Oregon Trail. For some reason though as I've gotten older I've come to have pretty lukewarm feelings about historical American settings, and that's a pretty large part of why I haven't been able to get into [b:Drums of Autumn|10988|Drums of Autumn (Outlander, #4)|Diana Gabaldon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388191458s/10988.jpg|3123704] from the Outlander series. This book has cured me of that though, and now I feel like I'll have to give Drums another shot.
I especially loved the main character, Leah. She's just so cool and badass in her own way, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to keep herself and those she cares about alive. At the same time, she is often scared and anxious, which makes her more relatable and further highlights her courage. And her friendship/slight romance with Jeff is just so adorable. They are just so sweet and innocent together, which is just so cute to read about after reading so many "sexier" YA fantasies.
The whole premise of the ability to sense gold is just so interesting, and I really hope that it gets fleshed out in the sequels. There are some hints of people with the ability to sense water and other things, so my interest is very piqued and I am generally intrigued to continue with this series.
I think everyone knows by now how much I hate historical. I went into this expecting a fantasy. I knew it had a historical aspect, but I didn't think it would be overpowering. Let me repeat: I thought this was a fantasy. It is NOT a fantasy. In fact, there's really nothing fantasy about this book at all aside from Leah's ability to witch gold. This is a historical all the way.
But, surprisingly, that didn't ruin it for me. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would, actually! It's historical, true, but it's about the gold rush so it was interesting. Plus it had a very Dances With Wolves feel that made me enjoy it a lot more. (Hell of a movie!!) It was kind of like Dances With Wolves meets Not a Drop to Drink, but totally its own entity.
This is a very, very character driven novel. There is a lot of focus on the character development and relationships. And it was all very realistic, might I add! There wasn't really much focus on the historical aspect. It was the setting only, not the actual story, if that makes any sense. This was simply a beautiful story about a young woman trying to find her way in a world ruled by men.
I think Carson captured the difficulty of being a woman in the 1800s beautifully. Lee struggles from the start because of being a woman. She has to hide who she is and there's always the danger of her being discovered. Her hardships really created a connection to her character! I felt terrible for her in the beginning when she lost everything.
Carson also captured how difficult times were back then. Without technology and modern medicine, there were a lot of deaths from things that would never be an issue in our time, like pregnancy and sickness.
I was impressed by how much Carson's writing style has improved since Girl of Fire and Thorns. I didn't like that book at all, but I quite enjoyed this one!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
I think I could get behind more historical-fiction-with-fantasy/supernatural-twists books because I really enjoyed this. Maybe it has a little to do with being LDS, but pioneers and the whole Manifest Destiny let's-literally-walk-across-the-entire-continent-to-make-a-new-life thing has always fascinated me. (And maybe that's because it's sometimes such an inconvenience for me to do things like leave my house and drive a mile to pick up some burgers--that someone else made--for dinner)
My only real problems with this book were that the preacher was made out to be such a doofus because heaven forbid a religious person be relatively normal, and I occasionally had trouble keeping up with all of the minor characters.
But the rest of the book was fast-paced and fun to read. The main character had some mild Mary Sue tendencies but I still liked her. I think it's definitely a series I'd like to continue reading.
My only real problems with this book were that the preacher was made out to be such a doofus because heaven forbid a religious person be relatively normal, and I occasionally had trouble keeping up with all of the minor characters.
But the rest of the book was fast-paced and fun to read. The main character had some mild Mary Sue tendencies but I still liked her. I think it's definitely a series I'd like to continue reading.
3.5 stars. I'm really not sure how I want to rate this book, simply because it was well written, entertaining, and enjoyable, but not quite what I expected it to be. I was looking for more conflict having to do with Lee's magic. The main conflict of the book has to do with the gold sensing magic described in the book's summary, but the meat and potatoes of the book doesn't touch on it much. This first book just highlights Lee's journey across the US to get to California during the Gold Rush era. I thought that Carson did a wonderful job of this, and showing what sorts of conflicts one might have faced on a journey like this, with the main theme being trust and friendship. Carson also does a great job of addressing other topics such as slavery, women's rights, and homosexuality in relation to the time period.
I loved all of the characters and it was wonderful to see them all grow on their journey across the US, and also heartbreaking when some of them were lost.
In addition (and I doubt this is any fault of the authors), Walk on Earth a Stranger has a completely parallel beginning to Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman. If you've read both books, there is no way you will miss the similarities.
I anticipate Book 2 of the trilogy will have more conflict having to do with Lee's gold seer abilities, and will definitely be reading it when it comes out.
I loved all of the characters and it was wonderful to see them all grow on their journey across the US, and also heartbreaking when some of them were lost.
In addition (and I doubt this is any fault of the authors), Walk on Earth a Stranger has a completely parallel beginning to Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman. If you've read both books, there is no way you will miss the similarities.
I anticipate Book 2 of the trilogy will have more conflict having to do with Lee's gold seer abilities, and will definitely be reading it when it comes out.
Loved this adventure and learning opportunity on the California gold rush of 1849. I learned so much on Leah's journey from Georgia to California. Looking forward to the rest of the series!