Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Title: Walk On Earth A Stranger

Author:  Rae Carson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publishing Date:  September 22nd 2015

Pages:  432
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Magical Realism

Series: The Gold Seer #1
Source: Audio

 

Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift. 

Where do I start with this review. I really don't know. This book was a amazing. That is a good start. It was more than ever hoped for or expected and more than I can put into words. It was a book that tore my heart out, stole my soul, then expected me to live afterwords. It just was one of the best things I have experienced in a very long time. 

Lee Westfall has a secret, a secret that she and her family have always kept hidden very well. She sense gold. Feel it, hear it, find it. Which as  you can imagine during this time period is a gift from the heavens. She and her family has always lived comfortably. Nothing of show, not extravagant.Just good and healthy. Lee is happy. She has a great family and a best friend. She has all she needs. Of course that has to change in order for a story to unfold so her family is killed and her best friend... whom she is love with but resists this hard.... moves away. Her long lost uncle comes to town, takes over the house, orders Lee around, and pretty much says- hey I own you now, I know what you can do, and I am going to use that to my advantage. So what does Lee do. She dresses like a boy, takes a horse, and makes a run for it. To find her best friend, her love, and make a life in California. Where she has lots of gold to sense. This is where the adventure begins. The trek Lee makes across the country.

I never really thought I would fall in love with this book so hard. The last time I really fell hard for a book was The Wrath and the Dawn. That one has been a while. There was just something raw and real and painful but beautiful about this story. I had all the feels and felt them so deeply. This read really came out of nowhere for me and I am not sure what to do with my life now that I have read it.

Lee was one of the most amazing characters I have ever read. She was strong, sure of herself, determined, soft but hard, loving, intelligent, funny, and so much more. She had it all. She of course made some wrong decisions but she was quick to right her wrongs. She was also stubborn. of course where would the story go if she wasn't. She worked hard and she fit right in with all the boys. She didn't let a few curves and long hair get in her way. Both things she managed to get rid of in a way and become what she had to, to survive. She wasn't fearless but she live her live fearless. 

Lee was really easy to get attached to from the very first pages. She was just the kind that you wanted to feel sorry for. She had a lot taken from her... but she wouldn't let you. She didn't allow any pity in her life. Her biggest mistake... not being honest with herself. 

There were so many great characters in this book. It would take so much to time to really go through them all. I can tell you that each and everyone was worth getting to know. Each time there was loss, it hit me real hard. Every time someone was being a crap monster. I felt it real hard. I took everything personal in this book. If it was happening to Lee or one of the other beloved characters, it was happening to me. 

The characters were pretty awesome, but the story was really awesome too. Sometimes a book doesn't have both, this book did and so much more. The story didn't just touch on the gold rush or how women had to work harder and still be ignored in life. It touched on slavery, bigotry, hate, all that stuff that is in our past and still present that really doesn't need to be. it was handled well and it was rough let me tell you. 

There was a long trek on a wagon trail from the east coast to the west coast. This sounds a bit boring right. Well it wasn't it was so no boring. It was a hard read though. It was not a uplifting warm read, It was however encouraging at times but really it was harsh and sad and made me cry a bunch. But still worth the read. Not sure what it was but the book kept me glued to my chair and I just couldn't stop. 

The narrator was just amazing too. Erin Mallon. She brought the story and each character to life. She felt the tone of the writing and made it happen. This is the second book I have listened to by Erin, and I honestly don't remember the first much... but this one. I do. She made it so much more... if that was possible. 

Never slow, never boring, Well worth the read because it was quite the adventure. If I could I would give it all my hearts!

I write books about teens who must do brave things. I'm originally from California, but I now live in Arizona with my husband, who is the smartest and therefore sexiest man I know. My books tend to contain lots of adventure, a little magic and romance, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. I especially love to write about questions I don't know the answers to.