Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

 This book was on a recommended list on Brooke Romney's Instagram page for young adults. It sounded intriguing because it was listed as a pioneer story and western, and I like reading about that era. It was billed in the Amazon reviews as historical fiction, so I thought there would be some good history and maybe even some good learning about the era along the way. It was supposed to be about resilience, a theme I usually enjoy, especially in teenagers.

It was disappointing that this book did not deliver on any of my expectations. The heroines were kind of hokey and not particularly real. The hardships along the trail were not especially realistic or enlightening. The plot was fairly predictable, although the various mishaps were not. I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't worth the time. Additionally, there was a fairly graphic almost-rape scene that felt kind of inappropriate for a youthful audience. I liked the courage of the two heroines, and I liked that this unlikely pair (a Chinese teen and a black slave) would share the spotlight in a novel. The racial issues were interesting as they came up, but weren't dealt with in any deep way. Still, it is interesting to ponder the implications of racism in that era, and this book definitely would be a springboard to some interesting discussions. 

I love sharing books with my friend Leslie. I'm just wondering if it's worth the postage to send it to her...