Walk on Earth a Stranger (Gold Seer Trilogy, #1)

by Rae Carson

[Angie]

Walk on Earth a Stranger was a ton of fun! I’ll admit that most of my interest in it was based on my Oregon Trail obsession as a kid, and it certainly did bring back fond memories. Also gender-bending, that’s always fun. Leah–aka Lee– can sense gold. This has helped her family out in Georgia where the gold rush was already over. However, after her parents are murdered and her uncle reveals his plans to use her for his own gain, Lee knows that she has to get out of there. And the only place to go is West.

I really enjoyed Walk on Earth a Stranger. I adored Lee. She’s smart, strong, and magical. Being her parents’ only child, her father taught her to hunt and other typically masculine activities. When he got sick, all of those chores fell to Lee, and this served her well on her trek across the country. Simply dressing as a boy wouldn’t have been enough. I also loved how the author didn’t shy away from some complications Lee would face during her charade. She does get her period and has to secretly deal with that, along with binding her breasts. I’m also glad that there were characters who figured Lee out, because that made it feel more realistic. Her disguise isn’t perfect.

I finished Walk on Earth a Stranger in one sitting, because I got so hooked on Lee and her group’s journey West. It is not an easy trip by any means, and it blew my mind that so many people traveled cross-country while only moving 6-20 miles per day! But they persisted! They faced sickness, stampedes, starvation, dehydration, and injuries. But they kept going! The story stretches out over months, but I never felt like it dragged or got boring. Something was always happening, and I never knew who would survive each hardship they faced.

Walk on Earth a Stranger was great. The magical aspect wasn’t as front and center, but then again, there wasn’t much gold along the way. I do wonder what may come next in this series. I actually quite like it as a standalone, with the exception of there still being some business with Lee’s uncle. Obviously, she’ll be using her ability now that she’s in California, but the excitement of the wagon train will be missing.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.