Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson - Paul's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from GreenWillow Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Walk on Earth a Stranger
Author: Rae Carson
Upcoming Release Date: September 22, 2015

Synopsis: 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? 

Walk on Earth a Stranger, the first book in this new trilogy, introduces—as only Rae Carson can—a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance. Includes a map and author’s note on historical research.

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Why?: Rae Carson is one of my favorite modern writers. She uses words so efficiently. I absolutely loved her Fire & Thorns trilogy, especially the accompanying novellas. I love the way she write characters. She always includes diversity and shows well rounded people. 

Expectations: Truthfully, I'm not very familiar with the Gold Rush era other than my slight addiction to Oregon Trail in elementary school and a gold mine I visited once in California. I'm interested to see how Carson is able to weave history with fantasy. A girl with the power to detect gold during the Gold Rush? That is an amazing pitch just there alone.  

Judging a book by its cover: I love the cover. The gold is very present. The title is huge. The colors of the sky and the clothing evoke feelings of the Wild West. I'm excited for this magical historical YA!


--PAUL