Author: Stacey Lee
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Romance
Release Date: March 17, 2015
Summary: Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.
Review: After hearing multiple raving reviews about this, I finally went and picked it up off the shelves at my local library. It took me a few days before I actually cracked the thing open, but that was expected.
Under a Painted Sky launches you straightway into the amazing setting of late 1840's North America. Those many, many years of high school history finally paid off! Lee did an amazing job of bringing a fairly historically accurate feel to the book through the wording and depictions of her characters. It was like I had taken the Delorean and traveled back to 1849 every time I opened the book.
For the most part, I loved the interactions between Sammy and Andy and the group of cowboys they met and traveled with along the way. Their interactions with them were, for the most part, hilarious! One of my favorite interactions (it's from early on in the book so I don't spoil anything) was between Andy and her horse. Actually, anytime Andy and her horse were in a scene, it was pretty much guaranteed that I would be laughing before it was over.
Probably, the most difficult thing to deal with was the fact that Sammy and Andy were actually girls and you (the reader) knew, at some point in time, the boys were going to find out. And, well, it was a llloooooooonnnnnnnnnggggggg wait. I wanted them to have figured it out sooner rather than later because I was hoping for more in the romance department. However, by the end of the novel I was rather okay with how everything panned out.
Under a Painted Sky launches you straightway into the amazing setting of late 1840's North America. Those many, many years of high school history finally paid off! Lee did an amazing job of bringing a fairly historically accurate feel to the book through the wording and depictions of her characters. It was like I had taken the Delorean and traveled back to 1849 every time I opened the book.
For the most part, I loved the interactions between Sammy and Andy and the group of cowboys they met and traveled with along the way. Their interactions with them were, for the most part, hilarious! One of my favorite interactions (it's from early on in the book so I don't spoil anything) was between Andy and her horse. Actually, anytime Andy and her horse were in a scene, it was pretty much guaranteed that I would be laughing before it was over.
Probably, the most difficult thing to deal with was the fact that Sammy and Andy were actually girls and you (the reader) knew, at some point in time, the boys were going to find out. And, well, it was a llloooooooonnnnnnnnnggggggg wait. I wanted them to have figured it out sooner rather than later because I was hoping for more in the romance department. However, by the end of the novel I was rather okay with how everything panned out.
Yes Timon, yes I was.
To finish up, I'm not quite sure if this is going to stay as a stand alone, or if there are plans for a sequel, but seriously, I could most definitely use a sequel. I felt that Under a Painted Sky was left very opened ended, which was a slight disappointment. I had wanted more all around closure and just didn't get it (one of the main reasons this book was 4 stars for me). However, I can deal with that.
Under a Painted Sky is, overall, a fantastic read! One I think younger YA reads might enjoy! The setting was fantastic and authentic. The characters and the developments were both very well written. I would most definitely recommend this if, 1) you're into YA comedic adventures, 2) you love the wild wild west, or 3) if you know how to read.
