Review : Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Summary (from Goodreads)  

Title : Walk on Earth a Stranger (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1)
Author : Rae Carson
Publication Date : September 22nd 2015
Publisher : Harper Teen
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble 

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. 

Personal Thoughts

Can I just say just how much I'm enjoying this new trend in YA westerns? After loving Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman, I've been on the look out for more books set in the Wild West. Walk on Earth a Stranger also specifically intrigued me because of the fantasy elements it seemed to have. Plus, Rae Carson is a very hyped author, so I knew I wanted to try Walk on Earth a Stranger just to experience her writing.

Walk on Earth a Stranger is a very slow book at times. It's not as eventful as most fantasy books are, but in the case of this book, the slow pace worked wonders. Why? Because the book is so character driven. Rae Carson clearly put her time and effort into fleshing out her characters, to the point that they come to life. Lee, her protagonist, in Walk on Earth of Stranger was a heroine I had a hard time not rooting for. This girl was so courageous and brave and I loved how she handled every obstacle that came her way with intelligence.

She was very much badass, but at the same time, she was also struggling with the recent loss of her loving parents. Her grief and sorrow seeped through the pages and was so palpable to the reader. My heart ached for her, but I also admired her for her strength and resilience. What's even more wonderful was how much Lee grew throughout the book. As a reader, watching as a character grows to become a better version of themselves right in front of your eyes is an otherworldly and brilliant experience, and Rae Carson knows exactly how to handle character development.

Like I mentioned, Walk on Earth a Stranger is a slow paced book because of it consisted of Lee, dressed as a boy, traveling to reach California during the Gold Rush. While this unhurried pacing in the story might not work for everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lee meets so many wonderful people on her journey and they made the book come alive for me. The developing relationships were undoubtedly a highlight of the book for me. The book wasn't as romance driven as I was hoping for it to be, but there were inklings of a budding romance to come and I'm excited to watch it blossom since I adored the little bit of Jefferson that we got to see. Oh and they were also friends first and everyone knows how quick I am to devour friends to lovers books.

Not to mention, Rae Carson is obviously one talented story teller. Somehow, with her words, she is able to transport the readers to the Wild West. She was also able to surprise me multiple times and basically kill me with the emotional upheaval she threw at my face. The only complaint I had was that I wanted to see the fantasy elements play a much more crucial role in the book. For the time being, it is in the background, but I'm hoping that in the next book of the trilogy we get to learn more about Lee's gold-sensing powers.

If you're a reader who enjoys adventurous YA books that are heavy on character development and budding relationships, Walk on Earth a Stranger is a must read. I have a feeling that this trilogy is going to turn out to be amazing in the next two books. I can't wait!

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5


  
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Teen for the e-ARC of Walk on Earth a Stranger.

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