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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
4.5
I’ll certainly be reading the next one! Historical magical realism may be a new favorite genre of mine! (Clean - not for those squeamish about hurt animals/medical emergencies)
I’ll certainly be reading the next one! Historical magical realism may be a new favorite genre of mine! (Clean - not for those squeamish about hurt animals/medical emergencies)
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5 stars
I loved this book. Lee is forced to flee her home after her parents are murdered. Disguising herself as a boy, she heads west during the Gold Rush. Keeping her ability to sense gold a secret, as well as her true identity, she begins a dangerous, life changing adventure that teaches the meaning of trust, friendship, and courage. Lee is a wonderful, empowering character who learns to take charge of her own destiny, and works selflessly to ensure the survival of everyone in her wagon train to California. Recommended.
I loved this book. Lee is forced to flee her home after her parents are murdered. Disguising herself as a boy, she heads west during the Gold Rush. Keeping her ability to sense gold a secret, as well as her true identity, she begins a dangerous, life changing adventure that teaches the meaning of trust, friendship, and courage. Lee is a wonderful, empowering character who learns to take charge of her own destiny, and works selflessly to ensure the survival of everyone in her wagon train to California. Recommended.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoy how this book blends historical fiction with a thin vein of fantasy. Rae Carson's style is always gripping, and even when I thought the adventure seemed somewhat slow, I enjoyed seeing how the characters grew and interacted with each other. Looking forward to the next in the series!
Great story - I think the words in my head are coming out with a little western twang, though, so there's that.
I listened to this on audio and I have to say I wasn't a HUGE fan of the read. Most of the men all sound the same.
Also, the writer used 'says' or 'said' A LOT. And listening to the book made me pick up on it. I almost got to the point where I had to cut it, but the story came through enough that I was able to ignore it.
I wish there was a little more about Lee and her gold sense. I get that she had to hide it for the most part and so it made sense to not read too much about if but it would have been nice.
And while the story is riveting I know I'll be able to predict many of the terrible things to come what with it being set in the time of the California gold rush where everyone wants a piece and they will do anything to get it.
I'm on to the second, though, so that's a good sign!
I listened to this on audio and I have to say I wasn't a HUGE fan of the read. Most of the men all sound the same.
Also, the writer used 'says' or 'said' A LOT. And listening to the book made me pick up on it. I almost got to the point where I had to cut it, but the story came through enough that I was able to ignore it.
I wish there was a little more about Lee and her gold sense. I get that she had to hide it for the most part and so it made sense to not read too much about if but it would have been nice.
And while the story is riveting I know I'll be able to predict many of the terrible things to come what with it being set in the time of the California gold rush where everyone wants a piece and they will do anything to get it.
I'm on to the second, though, so that's a good sign!
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
4.5 stars
This book . . . GAH.
I was already a HUGE fan of Rae Carson from reading her Fire and Thorns books, so I was dying in the interim between series, scavenging for any bit of information I could find about what she was working on next.
And the more I learned, the more excited I became: a girl on the run with the ability to sense gold like a dowsing rod . . . during the California Gold Rush . . .
Pretty cool, right? I'm not a huge fan of American history, but even I thought that was a pretty great scenario.
In hindsight, I feel kind of silly for not seeing the inevitable similarities between traveling in wagons across the county to California and traveling across the country in wagons . . . on the OREGON TRAIL.
BUT. As an adult, I finally grasped the gravity of the situation.
It was not an easy trip. People traveled in huge caravans b/c there was safety in numbers. A family would start the journey with a wagon jam-packed with various "necessities" they refused to leave behind, and the longer they traveled, the more stuff they tossed out, b/c they learned: if it isn't food or water, it's not important.
REAL people were dying from real diseases. LOTS of them. Not just random stick figures I'd named after my fourth grade best friends.
But Carson didn't only capture the realities of long-distance travel in Gold Rush-era America, she captured the mindsets. The blasé attitude that went hand-in-hand with the prejudices. The irony of the American settlers' response to perceived Native American threats. The desperation of women who were wholly dependent on their husbands b/c they had no rights of their own. The blind stupid belief of religious men who expected God to everything for them, believing that taking any type of precautionary action was a "lack of faith."
It was heartbreaking and infuriating and thought-provoking and, above all other things, REAL.
Viscerally real.
Which is quite an accomplishment for a YA fantasy novel.
My only complaint was that there were several shocking plot twists that---BAM!---hit you at the very beginning, and I hadn't had enough time with Leah to really be affected by the awful things that happened to her. B/c they were awful. Horrible, tragic things. But I only felt them cerebrally, not emotionally.
BUT. It was a problem that was short-lived. By the time I was one-third of the way through it, I was well and truly ensnared. I tore through the pages, finishing only six(ish) hours after starting it. And I'll admit, around the 90% mark I started getting worried . . . I could almost see a cliffhanger ending biting its thumb at me in the distance . . .
Thankfully, it was all in my head. I finished in agony, but only the agony that springs from finishing a truly great book and knowing that you have a year to wait before finding out what happens next. *wipes sweat from brow*
WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER is pure gold. In this phenomenal first installment of Rae Carson's new GOLD SEER TRILOGY, you will meet a fascinating cast of characters whose journey from the Southern United States all the way to California will spring to life as you feverishly inhale chapter after chapter, willfully ignoring silly things like food and shelter b/c you physical CANNOT put it down. At least I couldn't. Highly recommended.
Pre-review:
This book . . . I LOVED it. A slow(ish) start was my only real issue, and it resolved itself by the 1/3rd mark.
I loved the characters.
I loved the story.
I laughed, I cried, I wrung my hands, I swooned, I LOVED IT.
Full review to come closer to the release date.
4.5 stars
This book . . . GAH.
I was already a HUGE fan of Rae Carson from reading her Fire and Thorns books, so I was dying in the interim between series, scavenging for any bit of information I could find about what she was working on next.
And the more I learned, the more excited I became: a girl on the run with the ability to sense gold like a dowsing rod . . . during the California Gold Rush . . .
Pretty cool, right? I'm not a huge fan of American history, but even I thought that was a pretty great scenario.
In hindsight, I feel kind of silly for not seeing the inevitable similarities between traveling in wagons across the county to California and traveling across the country in wagons . . . on the OREGON TRAIL.
BUT. As an adult, I finally grasped the gravity of the situation.
It was not an easy trip. People traveled in huge caravans b/c there was safety in numbers. A family would start the journey with a wagon jam-packed with various "necessities" they refused to leave behind, and the longer they traveled, the more stuff they tossed out, b/c they learned: if it isn't food or water, it's not important.
REAL people were dying from real diseases. LOTS of them. Not just random stick figures I'd named after my fourth grade best friends.
But Carson didn't only capture the realities of long-distance travel in Gold Rush-era America, she captured the mindsets. The blasé attitude that went hand-in-hand with the prejudices. The irony of the American settlers' response to perceived Native American threats. The desperation of women who were wholly dependent on their husbands b/c they had no rights of their own. The blind stupid belief of religious men who expected God to everything for them, believing that taking any type of precautionary action was a "lack of faith."
It was heartbreaking and infuriating and thought-provoking and, above all other things, REAL.
Viscerally real.
Which is quite an accomplishment for a YA fantasy novel.
My only complaint was that there were several shocking plot twists that---BAM!---hit you at the very beginning, and I hadn't had enough time with Leah to really be affected by the awful things that happened to her. B/c they were awful. Horrible, tragic things. But I only felt them cerebrally, not emotionally.
BUT. It was a problem that was short-lived. By the time I was one-third of the way through it, I was well and truly ensnared. I tore through the pages, finishing only six(ish) hours after starting it. And I'll admit, around the 90% mark I started getting worried . . . I could almost see a cliffhanger ending biting its thumb at me in the distance . . .
Thankfully, it was all in my head. I finished in agony, but only the agony that springs from finishing a truly great book and knowing that you have a year to wait before finding out what happens next. *wipes sweat from brow*
WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER is pure gold. In this phenomenal first installment of Rae Carson's new GOLD SEER TRILOGY, you will meet a fascinating cast of characters whose journey from the Southern United States all the way to California will spring to life as you feverishly inhale chapter after chapter, willfully ignoring silly things like food and shelter b/c you physical CANNOT put it down. At least I couldn't. Highly recommended.
Pre-review:
This book . . . I LOVED it. A slow(ish) start was my only real issue, and it resolved itself by the 1/3rd mark.
I loved the characters.
I loved the story.
I laughed, I cried, I wrung my hands, I swooned, I LOVED IT.
Full review to come closer to the release date.
I absolutely LOVED this book about a strong female character named Leah who can divine gold. Part historical fiction, part magical realism (fantasy??), part adventure story - this book defies categorizing. I can't wait to read the next one in the trilogy!!