Under a Painted Sky

This book is a portrait of the American West that goes beyond just the stoic cowboys and damsels in distress that most Westerns feature. It takes many of the tropes of Westerns and either subverts them or improves upon them. The pacing is not always the most consistent, but the characters and story is incredibly memorable. It's a story as vibrant as the real West, not the whitewashed Hollywood version.

The first chapter is one of the most exciting chapters in a book that I have ever read. The action completely pulls you into the story. I have never read anything quite like this. It makes you appreciate how difficult it was for minorities to survive in the old west. The characters are thoroughly fleshed out and it has a real feel of authenticity.
I really enjoyed the way it explains how the protagonist sees the world as a result of her Chinese culture. She analyzes people in terms of their birth dates. For instance, if they were born in the year of the snake, or rabbit, and so on. She then explains the characteristics of their personality accordingly. I found that the more I got into the book, the more I was moved emotionally. And for someone like me who was born in the year of the stone, that does not always happen.
This book not only entertained, but also gave me a new perspective on America. I would recommend this wonderful book to anyone. I look forward to reading he next book by Stacey Lee.
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Two girls, disguised as boys, on the run from the law? Check.
Cute cowboys and a little romance? Check.
Plenty of action and suspense? Check.
Diverse characters in a Western? Check.
Strong female characters and a great friendship? Check.
What more could I ask for? I LOVED this book! I couldn't put it down and started re-reading it immediately after I finished. A great read!

Have you read a western lately? If not, you should. Moreover, you should read this western. It has everything a good western needs: hot cowboys, people trying to start over, adventure, cattle stampedes, gorgeous sunsets and loveable horses. Plus, unlike most westerns I've read lately, it does so without forgetting (or blatantly denying) that people in the old west weren't all white and that racism and sexism were constant and unavoidable. Lest that sound to heavy, though, let me assure you that this is at its heart a fun adventure story, and it doesn't let anything detract from that.

Super fun and exciting adventure with a great cast of racially diverse characters. Sammy and Andy's friendship is one of the best examples of friendship in any genre. They are tough and honest with each other and true to the very end. Very enjoyable read - nothing is off-limits in this gold rush adventure with a young Chinese fiddler and an escaped black slave.

This is a beautiful, big-hearted, exciting piece of historical fiction. 1849, Oregon Trail. Two teenage girls on the run, disguised as boys. Also: Cowboys. Stampedes. Friendship. Lightning. Love. Cholera.

Lots of tense Western action, but also lots of timeless moments of human beings connecting with one another. All the main characters are fully-dimensional and written with a great amount of integrity. I highly recommend.

This book is a rip-roaring adventure with twists and turns at every corner from the first chapter to the last page. It's a young adult book like none I've read before: somewhat of a Thelma and Louise meets The Ballad of Little Jo.

The action never stops. The characters only become more and more interesting. And the secret chemistry is oh-so-swoony. West. Ah, West.

This book is the entire package.

I went into a terrible state of withdrawal after finishing this book. I loved it so much. Historical fiction at its best. I could not put it down. I hung onto every gorgeous detail and fell in love with ALL the characters, even the nasty ones. If you don't think historical fiction is for you--read this book. It'll change your mind!

I stayed up practically all night to finish this book! The characters are so real, Sammy's voice is spot on! Even though I've finished the book, I feel like I can still hear her talking in my head. The references to Chinese zodiac and sayings was so perfectly woven throughout the novel. Romance, adventure, LOVED.

Fabulous read! I particularly like the way the author weaves the Chinese wisdom of the father throughout the novel, making him a strong character even though he dies in the first few pages. And the finesse of mirroring the Chinese beliefs against the philosophy of Andy is sheer genius, exposing the underlying theme that cultures are more alike than different. I love the characters, the plot, the setting, and most of all the beauty of the simplistic language.

Historical fiction is not usually my favorite kind of reading, but this book grabbed me and wouldn't let go from the very first paragraph! Not only is the plot thoroughly engaging, it's written with clarity, humor and just the right amount of romantic sweetness. A great tribute to strong, independent young women whose bravery, determination and loyalty inspire me long after I finished the book.

Under a Painted Sky is a Western adventure about the journey of two girls, one Chinese-American and the other African-American, on the Oregon Trail. Before this book, I had never read historical fiction featuring two engaging characters who were also characters of color. My favorite thing about this book is its portrayal of empathy and the ability to see oneself in people who may be unlike yourself. It's also full of laughs and there's a touch of romance. BUY THIS BOOK!

Under a Painted Sky is not your old-fashioned historical YA novel. Author, Stacey Lee, writes with turn-the-page action, genuine teen emotion, and beautiful vivid writing at the same time. I highly recommend this book!

Under a Painted Sky is a beautifully written story that I know will stick with me for a long time. Stacy Lee fearlessly writes about the discrimination surrounding race, class and gender of the Wild West. It's the kind of story that will keep you up long past your bedtime with humor, action, and romance, all built around the exciting Wild West.

Inspring and educational. Not wanting to give away the breakthrough story, it is rare to find history, suspense, intrigue, and romance all together with a diverse main character (not something we ever see these days). Waiting on pins and needs for part II!

Ugh, I spent, like, ten minutes figuring out what to rate this. I had been so so so SO looking forward to this and - don't get me wrong, it truly is one hell of a debut, it takes place mostly on the Oregon Trail, hello - but it just hadn't exceeded my expectations.

I was thinking of calling Sam a Western version of Mulan, but then was like, "Nah." Sam/Samantha/Sammy, our protagonist, the Snake of the Zodiac, which I swear she will never let you forget, is certainly a unique MC.

After Sam's father dies in a shop fire, she receives an offer from one of her father's friends, a hotel owner, to stay for a short while at his place to recuperate. Seeing as she has nowhere else to go, Samantha accepts. And at the door, she's greeted not-too-kindly, considering the day and age, by an old woman, Betsy. Betsy beckons over her slave girl rudely, and the girl takes Samantha to the bath, where Samantha breaks down to her after they share a conversation. The "slave girl" is discovered to be Annamae.

After her bath, the hotel owner has returned. He barges into Samantha's room, whilst removing clothing, after she pretty much declares, "I'M NAKED!" and offers her a proposition: You could stay at the hotel if you choose to work here. Like Annamae. Samantha doesn't get to say much of anything, then he proceeds to jump her and she knocks him over the head with a scrubbing brush, killing him (?)

Minutes pass. Annamae stumbles upon the scene, gasping. Samantha explains the scene in a mess. They hide the body. Then, they start their mission. To become boys. Both have different reasons for their journeys, however, and those are further explained as they progress in good ol Thelma and Louise-fashion.

Near the beginning of their journey, the two meet a few young, handsome cowboys, Peety, Cay, and West, and their horses. To maintain their shtick, Samantha and Annamae introduce themselves as Sam and Andy respectively. And for most, if not all of the story, they have the boys fooled.

Then, Sam falls for West. And likewise.

Honestly, I think West was ready to be not-straight, or was possibly bisexual, because he liked Sam even when she was disguised as a boy and her façade had him fooled, and I can't believe I'm delving this deep into a fictional character's sexuality, but honestly. Let's just say, West was bi-curious. He had his arm around Boy-Sam's waist and was snuggling and spooning. Then, when he discovered the dire truth, he was like, “Oh, Samantha. Um, wow. That's gonna take awhile to get used to.” Like, it's such an everyday thing.

If this had led from Annamae's POV, I think I would've enjoyed it more. Her stories were more interesting, more mesmerizing, and it would've been nicer to see what went down when she reunited with her brother. Samantha's story isn't horrible, but it's somewhat bland. The supporting cast basically made it for me. Especially Peety and his story about his sister, Esme. (Ohhhhh, darling.)

The ending wasn't much to my favor either. It ended a little too cheesy for me, but it's more of a minor issue. It s a cute book, nonetheless, so I guess I'd recommend.

A great wild west tale of survival and resilience and culture and family and most of all friendship. I was totally engrossed from beginning to end in this gorgeously imagined and well researched historical novel.