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

*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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Review: Rae Carson is one of my favorite current authors. She writes beautifully and her characters are always fully fledged people. I love that she includes diversity. She is a master at putting words in the right order to convey emotion in the perfect way. So obviously, I loved this book. 

This book is a historical fantasy, but the magic aspect of it though dire to the plot only comes into play a few times. The meat of the novel is an adventure story of moving across a whole country to unknown lands. I'm not very familiar with this time period. Most of my knowledge of the era comes from Oregon Trail and a small museum I visited in a California gold mine. 

There are so many interesting characters that Lee meets in her journeys. I found myself attached to so many of them and absolutely despising others. Carson's writing definitely brings strong emotions out in me. 

I loved the way minorities are portrayed. Everything is period-appropriate, but to be interpreted by a reader from the 21st century. Gender is a big topic. Race also comes into play. 

I give this book a 5/5 and HIGHLY recommend you read it! Rae Carson is one of the strongest and most under-appreciated voices in YA now. This is the first in a new trilogy, but it is a complete story. I am so glad there's going to be more! 


--PAUL