Name: Melissa Palmer's review of Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Item: Walk on Earth a Stranger
Rating: 5
Author: Melissa Palmer

Rae Carson

A New York Times bestseller and National Book Award longlist selection The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times–bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America. Walk on Earth a Stranger begins an epic saga from one of the finest writers of young adult literature. Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns series, dazzles with the first book in the Gold Seer Trilogy, introducing a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance, as only she can.

Walk on Earth a Stranger

Abigail Auvray

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America. Walk on Earth a Stranger begins an epic saga from one of the finest writers of young adult literature. Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns series, dazzles with the first book in the Gold Seer Trilogy, introducing a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance, as only she can.

Melissa Palmer

Book #105 Read in 2015
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

This is the first book in a YA trilogy by the author of The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Set during the California Gold Rush, this book has a touch of fantasy in which the main character, Leah, can "sense" where to find gold. She is asked to head to California by her good friend Jefferson, who is heading there to try his luck and get away from his abusive father. This book has action, interesting history, great characters, romance and humor. Over 400 pages, it was a quick read because I did not want to put it down. I would recommend this book to high school students (both boys and girls) and adults. I will continue this series. I received this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

Briar Rose

*Review also posted at Briar Rose Reads

I liked Walk on Earth a Stranger very much, with one notable exception: the lazy, useless, no-good burden of a reverend. That trope was thin and tired seventy years ago, and I'm taking off a full star for it. I expected better from the author of the Girl of Fire and Thorns series, which explored the complexities of faith and belief in a beautiful, authentic way.

Still, there was much about Walk on Earth a Stranger to love. The main character yearned for freedom, and deeply enjoyed her taste of it while posing as a boy, but she didn't gleefully throw off all trappings of the feminine. Putting back on a skirt, she said, felt like being in her own skin again. She didn't want to abandon being a woman--she wanted freedom as a woman.

There were a wide variety of other well-developed female characters, with complex relationships and motivations. And Jefferson was wonderful.

This book reminded me, too, of why I loved the Western genre so much as a kid: the danger, maybe, the thrill and drama, but mostly the possibility. The wide-open sky. The idea that anything could be around the next bend or over the next ridge. Adding a touch of magic just makes it better.

Emelie

I didn't expected to enjoy it as much as I actually did. Sure, it was just a very long journey from Georgia to California and it was annoying from time to time but, I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series. Good thing I ordered it for Christmas! :)

Jillian Clare

DNF'd, but I definitely am coming back for this book. I really liked the premise and characters, but I lost interest halfway through. I don't know if it's just not for me, or because I just finished a fast-paced action-packed novel before reading this and I'm just having trouble getting into the rhythm of this one. Either way, I find it interesting enough that I'll be back for a second try!

Maria

история из времен калифорнийской золотой лихорадки с отчетливым феминистской линией - в целом, я не фанат вестернов, но этот мне нравится - может просто дело в том, что все остальные про мачо, а этот про девочку?

только вот романтическая линия провальная - у мальчика совсем нет personality, но вот вообще ни крупиночки. всё, что мы о нем знаем - что он наполовину чероки. впрочем, вспоминаю прошлую серию этого автора - там тоже было плохо с проработкой любовных интересов героини. видимо, есть люди, которым просто не дано((

Kristen

So, here's the thing. 

This book is pretty slow.

Great. 

But slow. 

I won't reiterate the plot, but essentially, Lee's world is pulled out from under her and she starts traveling across country by horse and later by wagon in roughly 1849, chasing the gold rush. It takes 6-8 months to complete the journey, and on the way, Lee grows up. A lot. She faces struggle and heartache head-on. She comes to terms with who she is and who she wants to be. She loses people she comes to love. 

This book is obviously a set up for the rest of the series, so there's not a fantastic action-driven, plot-focused narrative. This is mostly about Lee and who she becomes on her journey. This is 100% character and setting driven. And I, being a longtime lover of historical fiction (especially semi-accurate historical fiction) really enjoyed this ride.

Carly Boyer

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

Walk on Earth a Stranger is soooooo out of my comfort zone. This is the third historical book I’ve read this year, and I’m pretty proud of this fact. :) I NEVER would have touched one before… and now I’m finding that I actually really enjoy them! (Up next: an historical romance!)

Lee, the daughter of two loving parents, has a special gift: she can smell gold from miles away. She can sense it laying on the ground, buried, even in someone’s possession. Pretty amazing, right?! When Lee’s parents are killed and she finds out her uncle, legal guardian, is the one responsible, she quickly flees cross country to California in hopes of finding gold and starting a new life.

It’s no secret how much I adore road trip books… but guess what! It doesn’t stop there! This is the second western I’ve read in the last few months, and I really enjoyed the traveling aspect. Riding horseback, encountering so many hardships along the way… I’m loving it!! Apparently I enjoy living vicariously through these adventurous characters since I NEVER travel myself. That was probably my favorite part of this book.

I do have to say the pacing was extremely slow for my liking. Maybe this was because it was on the longer side of what I usually read, so I felt like the story was dragging a bit? Or maybe it had to do with the fact that I was listening to the audio, which makes it easier for my mind to wander? I’m not sure exactly what it was, but I did lose interest here and there. Not often, but enough that I felt I should mention it.

Overall, I’m really impressed with how much I enjoyed this story. For someone who isn’t an historical fan to enjoy this so much really speaks volumes. I’m eager to see what the next installment of this series will bring to the table. The ending wasn’t a cliffhanger (thank GAWD!) but it did leave it quite open, ready for book two to pick up right where it left off.

Audiobook Impressions:
Erin Mallon is an extremely experienced narrator. I first heard Erin while listening to the Addicted series. (Which is AMAZING, btw!) It impresses me how she can read such vastly different genres and do just as amazing a job with each one. I loved the way she brought Lee to live, showing her insecurities as well as her strengths. I would definitely recommend this audiobook.

(Thanks to Harper Audio for the review copy!)

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Abigail Auvray &
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

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