Under a Painted Sky

Lee, Stacey. Under a Painted Sky. G.P. Putnam BFYR, 2015. 

Samantha hates Missouri and wants to move back to New York, but her father insists that they will soon head west. When her father's shop burns down with him inside, and Samantha is captured and nearly forced into prostitution, Samantha and her new found friend Annamae are forced to flee for their lives. They disguise themselves as boys and head West, Sammy looking for her father's friend and Andy looking for her brother. They soon find themselves neck-deep in their lies and hoping to save their own skins.

It took me a little bit to get into this story, but once I did, I was hooked. I like stories of people traveling West, and the added element of two nonwhite girls disguised as boys was intriguing. Historical fiction isn't usually a super-popular category for teens, but this particular book would be an easy one to book talk.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: Sammy is nearly raped near the beginning of the book, several people are shot and/or die throughout the story.
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars