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nyommii's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
I love this book! Its a story of two girls' journey to freedom and the people they meet on the way. I really love all the characters and enjoy the way it is written. It teaches you about freedom, bravery, and the tough decisions and skills cowboys had to learn to make it in the wild west. I would recommend this book for teens who like adventurous and well written stories from different time periods. Also, can we just appreciate the book cover?
I love this book! Its a story of two girls' journey to freedom and the people they meet on the way. I really love all the characters and enjoy the way it is written. It teaches you about freedom, bravery, and the tough decisions and skills cowboys had to learn to make it in the wild west. I would recommend this book for teens who like adventurous and well written stories from different time periods. Also, can we just appreciate the book cover?
emleemay's review against another edition
4.0
I admit that there are some books I only read to satisfy my curiosity after I see all the hype. You know the kind - they win a bunch of awards, get a kirkus starred review, feature in Goodreads "best books of the month"... and yet, you read the description and you're just not that excited for it. But you're curious enough to pick it up anyway and not expect much. Well, I'm so glad I'm one of those curious readers.
Honestly, this book was really good. It's one of those rare stories that manages to blend sad, moving parts, with action-filled fast-paced parts and laugh-out-loud hilarious parts and get the balance just right. And it's a western! So far from the genres I usually find myself in, but oh so very good.
There are some books I sit down to read a little of and suddenly find myself blinking at the clock, which tells me it's three hours later. This is one of those books. So easily readable, so easy to get caught up in the emotion, the action and the wonderful relationship between the two main characters. The blurb promises a book for fans of [b:Code Name Verity|11925514|Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity, #1)|Elizabeth Wein|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388161911s/11925514.jpg|16885788] - something which I'm sure appeals to many readers out there - but I found CNV to be much slower than this. [b:Under a Painted Sky|22501055|Under a Painted Sky|Stacey Lee|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404520780s/22501055.jpg|26170310] was hard to put down; I was so completely invested in the characters and the plot.
The author is one of the founders of #WeNeedDiverseBooks so, not surprisingly, this book was refreshingly diverse. Samantha is a Chinese girl living in Missouri in 1849 (i.e. not an ideal situation); when she finds herself in extremely unfortunate circumstances, she must flee West with the help of Annamae - a runaway slave. Disguised as two cowboys called Sammy and Andy, the two set off on the Oregon Trail and make all kinds of friends and enemies along the way.
This was not what I would call a "book about race" - it's a coming-of-age tale about two young girls and their friendship - and yet, obviously, the issue of race is woven in throughout and handled in a way that was sensitive, informative, sometimes funny and sometimes very sad. Take this:
“When I came early, the doctor turned her away because he had never delivered a Chinese baby. By the time Father found us, Mother was dead.”
It's so disturbing to think how prejudiced and ignorant people were in these times.
And it should be said that only a very small number of authors have that talent for making you care about characters instantly, but Lee makes it seem easy. We see so very little of Samantha's father in this book and yet the author uses the smallest touching details to make him a character we warm to and miss.
But I haven't even started talking about the stars of this show properly. Samantha and Annamae are amazing. No exaggeration. They make Thelma and Louise look totally lame. Annamae is a charming and hilarious badass - so goddamn strong, intelligent and funny. The dialogue in the book is PERFECT; so many great scenes between the two of them (and later between them and the cowboys they meet). This is one early scene I liked:
“Quickly, use the book and help me knock in a hole.”
She clasps the Bible to her chest. “You want me to be struck down?”
“Oh, sorry. Here, hold the pointy part against the strap, like this.” I show her. Putting down the Bible, she takes the belt, and pokes the prong into the leather where I want it.
I take up the Good Book myself, then in one swift movement whack it down over the metal prong, driving it into the leather. I pray that nobody heard.
“Sweet Jesus!” Annamae cries out. Her mouth opens in horror.
“Thank you, Lord,” I whisper piously.
They crack me up so much. And this that Cay says to Samantha:
“Sorry, kid, I owe you one. You can kick me in the nuts if you want, or I can give you all my money.”
“I’d go with the nuts,” says West. “He only has four dollars.”
When I'm reading a book that I enjoy, I mostly refuse to let myself fully accept my opinion of it until the end, just in case it doesn't stay good or something starts to annoy me. But I somehow KNEW this book was going to be good from the very beginning. And it was. Very impressed.
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Honestly, this book was really good. It's one of those rare stories that manages to blend sad, moving parts, with action-filled fast-paced parts and laugh-out-loud hilarious parts and get the balance just right. And it's a western! So far from the genres I usually find myself in, but oh so very good.
There are some books I sit down to read a little of and suddenly find myself blinking at the clock, which tells me it's three hours later. This is one of those books. So easily readable, so easy to get caught up in the emotion, the action and the wonderful relationship between the two main characters. The blurb promises a book for fans of [b:Code Name Verity|11925514|Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity, #1)|Elizabeth Wein|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388161911s/11925514.jpg|16885788] - something which I'm sure appeals to many readers out there - but I found CNV to be much slower than this. [b:Under a Painted Sky|22501055|Under a Painted Sky|Stacey Lee|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404520780s/22501055.jpg|26170310] was hard to put down; I was so completely invested in the characters and the plot.
The author is one of the founders of #WeNeedDiverseBooks so, not surprisingly, this book was refreshingly diverse. Samantha is a Chinese girl living in Missouri in 1849 (i.e. not an ideal situation); when she finds herself in extremely unfortunate circumstances, she must flee West with the help of Annamae - a runaway slave. Disguised as two cowboys called Sammy and Andy, the two set off on the Oregon Trail and make all kinds of friends and enemies along the way.
This was not what I would call a "book about race" - it's a coming-of-age tale about two young girls and their friendship - and yet, obviously, the issue of race is woven in throughout and handled in a way that was sensitive, informative, sometimes funny and sometimes very sad. Take this:
“When I came early, the doctor turned her away because he had never delivered a Chinese baby. By the time Father found us, Mother was dead.”
It's so disturbing to think how prejudiced and ignorant people were in these times.
And it should be said that only a very small number of authors have that talent for making you care about characters instantly, but Lee makes it seem easy. We see so very little of Samantha's father in this book and yet the author uses the smallest touching details to make him a character we warm to and miss.
But I haven't even started talking about the stars of this show properly. Samantha and Annamae are amazing. No exaggeration. They make Thelma and Louise look totally lame. Annamae is a charming and hilarious badass - so goddamn strong, intelligent and funny. The dialogue in the book is PERFECT; so many great scenes between the two of them (and later between them and the cowboys they meet). This is one early scene I liked:
“Quickly, use the book and help me knock in a hole.”
She clasps the Bible to her chest. “You want me to be struck down?”
“Oh, sorry. Here, hold the pointy part against the strap, like this.” I show her. Putting down the Bible, she takes the belt, and pokes the prong into the leather where I want it.
I take up the Good Book myself, then in one swift movement whack it down over the metal prong, driving it into the leather. I pray that nobody heard.
“Sweet Jesus!” Annamae cries out. Her mouth opens in horror.
“Thank you, Lord,” I whisper piously.
They crack me up so much. And this that Cay says to Samantha:
“Sorry, kid, I owe you one. You can kick me in the nuts if you want, or I can give you all my money.”
“I’d go with the nuts,” says West. “He only has four dollars.”
When I'm reading a book that I enjoy, I mostly refuse to let myself fully accept my opinion of it until the end, just in case it doesn't stay good or something starts to annoy me. But I somehow KNEW this book was going to be good from the very beginning. And it was. Very impressed.
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whineosaur's review against another edition
2.0
A great concept with some interesting characters. However, Annie Mae's character was too difficult for me to stomach--I got tired of the otherization of her and the way she seemed like a slightly fleshed-out plot device, evident especially in the way her syntax and grammar magically changed when she told stories. Besides, the wise, black storytelling slave is too ancient a concept, and hard to make fresh without giving the story to the black character herself. Didn't finish.
izz_al_din's review against another edition
3.0
i decided to reread this book when i was in the mood to read a western a little while ago but i just couldn’t
enelira's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
maria161985's review against another edition
3.0
I'm usually not too keen on books set during this period however, I had heard that this one was good so, I had wanted to give it a try. I liked the characters of 'Sammy' and 'Andy'; I found them to be very brave, courageous, and funny at times. However, the story itself seemed to be a bit tedious for most of the book. I found that the book only described what the group did on a daily basis (e.g. eating, walking, encountering different people). I didn't feel as though there was any excitement throughout the book, no real 'climax' that got me wondering what was next. Although in the end, everything worked out as it should have, it didn't interest me as much as I would have liked.
abigailkosnik's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook; in fact, the narrator is so talented at performing various voices I may just have to listen to every book she's narrated. The story was fascinating, and though I rarely read westerns, this one reminded me of the American Girl books and the My America books from my childhood in the best of ways. The story was thrilling, the characters all complex and compelling, and the representation as diverse as the historic Wild West truly was.
My two issues are with the romance and the religion (spoilers from here on in).The main character, Sammy, who is disguised as a boy, falls in love with a cowboy named West. We're all familiar with the male-struggling-with-his-sexuality trope from movies like Mulan or shows like Coffee Prince, but my issue here the author conveniently assures us that West new Sammy was a girl all along.... I love this trope specifically because it highlights someone falling for another's soul above all else, so much so that they're willing to question everything about themselves. I mean just take Han Kyul's line in Coffee Prince, "I like you. I don't care if you're a man or an alien. I don't care anymore!" Now that is true love... When the cross-dressing trope is used but then it's revealed at the end that no one was really fooled, it feels disingenuous and lacking.
Secondly, Christianity played a major part in the plot. Now, I don't have an issue with descriptions of religions at all, especially considering the story is set in the Western US in the 1840s. What I didn't like was the way the characters felt like they were preaching their justifications for all the terrible stuff that happens in the plot in a way that felt like it was supposed to be teaching the audience a lesson. Oh, Andy's long-lost brother who escaped slavery and who knows what other horrible violence committed suicide in the final act? Why, that must be God's Plan, nothing we could do about it. There were plenty of weird examples like this. The author also brings in Chinese culture in the form of Zodiac signs and some superstitions, but they are always explained in such a manner that it's clear the author assumes her readers will not have prior context to understand them as easily as the Christian notions. As someone with a bit of religious trauma, but who has also read plenty of books with religious characters, this one felt especially didactic, in a way that I would feel wary of giving it to an impressionable child without explaining the historical context of such beliefs first.
My two issues are with the romance and the religion (spoilers from here on in).The main character, Sammy, who is disguised as a boy, falls in love with a cowboy named West. We're all familiar with the male-struggling-with-his-sexuality trope from movies like Mulan or shows like Coffee Prince, but my issue here the author conveniently assures us that West new Sammy was a girl all along.... I love this trope specifically because it highlights someone falling for another's soul above all else, so much so that they're willing to question everything about themselves. I mean just take Han Kyul's line in Coffee Prince, "I like you. I don't care if you're a man or an alien. I don't care anymore!" Now that is true love... When the cross-dressing trope is used but then it's revealed at the end that no one was really fooled, it feels disingenuous and lacking.
Secondly, Christianity played a major part in the plot. Now, I don't have an issue with descriptions of religions at all, especially considering the story is set in the Western US in the 1840s. What I didn't like was the way the characters felt like they were preaching their justifications for all the terrible stuff that happens in the plot in a way that felt like it was supposed to be teaching the audience a lesson. Oh, Andy's long-lost brother who escaped slavery and who knows what other horrible violence committed suicide in the final act? Why, that must be God's Plan, nothing we could do about it. There were plenty of weird examples like this. The author also brings in Chinese culture in the form of Zodiac signs and some superstitions, but they are always explained in such a manner that it's clear the author assumes her readers will not have prior context to understand them as easily as the Christian notions. As someone with a bit of religious trauma, but who has also read plenty of books with religious characters, this one felt especially didactic, in a way that I would feel wary of giving it to an impressionable child without explaining the historical context of such beliefs first.
blessedwannab's review against another edition
4.0
Look at the cover of this book! It’s beautiful, but it also really matches the title. That is a beautiful painted sky…
Often the cover a book will catch my eye and make me pause, but a cover alone won’t make me read a book. If the synopsis (and my friends opinions) conflict with my initial gut response to the pretty picture, I’ll definitely put the book back. I don’t get suckered, or at least I consciously try not to. So, as much as this book is simply stunning it was the colors AND the synopsis that pulled me in and made me read. It sounded so fantastic. Two young women, running for their lives, heading out on the Oregon Trail. I mean, even the words ‘Oregon Trail’ make me excited. It’s probably stems from how many times I died of Dysentery in the computer game. Anyway, Under a Painted Sky felt like a sure thing.
One of the first notes I made when reading Under a Painted Sky was that it felt like Sammy seemed to get over her tragedy so fast. I mean, it was a massive loss and I thought she didn’t seem to show the pain the way I thought she should. However, as the story goes on, you see that she actually didn’t get past it. It stays with her the entire book. I began to recognize that her circumstances didn’t allow her to sit and wallow. Sammy was trying to survive, and that came first. I think that quote sums up pretty much exactly what the main character Sammy was going through; a deep sorrow that was always inside her.
Sammy’s sorrow was perfectly countered by Andy’s grit. Both girls had goals, both girls lived through tragedy. Where Sammy was learning how to be tough, Andy WAS tough. Her life as a slave had built in her an ability to survive odds that Sammy just didn’t have. She was teaching Sammy to be a rattlesnake, when she herself actually was. The two girls balanced each other really well, and both of the girls were strongly written, with characteristics that were completely their own. However, for me, Andy was the standout. Through her actions, and her stories, she was clearly the leader and she shone.
What I wasn’t expecting was for the boys (West, Cay and Petey) to be so pivotal to the story. I had no idea that they would be so vibrant, based on the back of the book. They were mentioned as an afterthought, but they were so much more than that. Just like Sammy and Andy, all three boys in Under a Painted Sky also had their own personalities, with West being the serious brooder, Cay being the ladies man, and Petey being the sweet one. Their antics made you laugh, and each of their own history’s tugged on your heartstrings. They definitely wound up being one of the highlights of the story.
I did have one small complaint. The end felt slightly unrealistic. It wasn’t wrapped up in a perfect little bow or anything, but at the same time it did feel a little over the top. The author traded one happy ending for a different one, and maybe possibly (I thought) it should have been a little less predictable.
Overall though, good. Good, with a drop dead gorgeous cover. 4 skulls.
See this review, and others, at Badass Book Reviews!
Often the cover a book will catch my eye and make me pause, but a cover alone won’t make me read a book. If the synopsis (and my friends opinions) conflict with my initial gut response to the pretty picture, I’ll definitely put the book back. I don’t get suckered, or at least I consciously try not to. So, as much as this book is simply stunning it was the colors AND the synopsis that pulled me in and made me read. It sounded so fantastic. Two young women, running for their lives, heading out on the Oregon Trail. I mean, even the words ‘Oregon Trail’ make me excited. It’s probably stems from how many times I died of Dysentery in the computer game. Anyway, Under a Painted Sky felt like a sure thing.
Have patience in one moment of anger, and you will avoid one hundred days of sorrow.
One of the first notes I made when reading Under a Painted Sky was that it felt like Sammy seemed to get over her tragedy so fast. I mean, it was a massive loss and I thought she didn’t seem to show the pain the way I thought she should. However, as the story goes on, you see that she actually didn’t get past it. It stays with her the entire book. I began to recognize that her circumstances didn’t allow her to sit and wallow. Sammy was trying to survive, and that came first. I think that quote sums up pretty much exactly what the main character Sammy was going through; a deep sorrow that was always inside her.
Sammy’s sorrow was perfectly countered by Andy’s grit. Both girls had goals, both girls lived through tragedy. Where Sammy was learning how to be tough, Andy WAS tough. Her life as a slave had built in her an ability to survive odds that Sammy just didn’t have. She was teaching Sammy to be a rattlesnake, when she herself actually was. The two girls balanced each other really well, and both of the girls were strongly written, with characteristics that were completely their own. However, for me, Andy was the standout. Through her actions, and her stories, she was clearly the leader and she shone.
What I wasn’t expecting was for the boys (West, Cay and Petey) to be so pivotal to the story. I had no idea that they would be so vibrant, based on the back of the book. They were mentioned as an afterthought, but they were so much more than that. Just like Sammy and Andy, all three boys in Under a Painted Sky also had their own personalities, with West being the serious brooder, Cay being the ladies man, and Petey being the sweet one. Their antics made you laugh, and each of their own history’s tugged on your heartstrings. They definitely wound up being one of the highlights of the story.
I did have one small complaint. The end felt slightly unrealistic. It wasn’t wrapped up in a perfect little bow or anything, but at the same time it did feel a little over the top. The author traded one happy ending for a different one, and maybe possibly (I thought) it should have been a little less predictable.
Overall though, good. Good, with a drop dead gorgeous cover. 4 skulls.
See this review, and others, at Badass Book Reviews!