Thursday, January 19, 2012

Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater
Publication Date: October 18th, 2011
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 409
ISBN: 9780545224901

Where to Buy:
B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. (Goodreads)
I was super curious about The Scorpio Races the minute I heard about the book. I didn’t really know what to expect for a book that dealt with horses, but I love Maggie Stiefvater, and I couldn’t wait to get started on this book. It was definitely worth the read!

Every year, November marks the beginning of the Scorpio Races. These are no normal races, however. These races consist of water horses that long for their home in the sea, and eat not only other animals, but humans as well. Riding one these beasts to the very end of the race will win you big, but you could also die in the process. Kate Connolly who, is the first girl that has ever entered the race, needs to win to save her family home. Can she do it, is the question.

Kate (Puck) was just a really great main character. I love that she was just a girl, plain and simple. Not wanting to give up the only home she’s know, she did what she had to do for herself, her brother and their home. I love that her best friend is her horse, Dove. They have such a special bond together; it was always nice reading about their situations together. I also really enjoyed Puck’s younger brother, Finn. You could really see how much he cared for his sister, and I loved their brother/sister relationship.

Sean Kendrick, who should be Kate’s biggest rival, turns out to be a great character as well. I was a little unsure of him at first, he was a bit standoffish and distant, but he definitely won me over by the middle of the book. I love the way he was with the horses, and the way he was such a gentleman, especially when it came to Puck.

The storyline for this book was absolutely unique and fascinating. Just imagining the horses that live in the water, and how evil they were. It definitely kept the mystery in the book. I enjoyed the pacing of the book as well. Once I had time to actually sit down and read uninterrupted, I flew through the pages. The ending of the book is very satisfying, I thought it ended perfectly. The romance in the book is at a minimum, but I think that makes it stand out even more.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to! With such a great storyline, and awesome characters, who wouldn’t love it? It’s definitely a must read.

Happy Reading!


13 comments:

  1. Great review. I really enjoyed this book too.

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  2. I LOVED The Scorpio Races as well! Then again, I may be slightly biased because I absolutely adore Maggie Stiefvater and her writing. I'm so glad you liked it :)

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  3. YAY CHRISTY! I adored this book! I'm partial to horses so I think watching Sean with Corr and Puck with Dove just really resonated with me and I just wanted to hug the book by the end. So glad it was more than you expected it to be:)

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  4. My copy of this has been sitting on my shelf for waaayyy too long now and it's actually crying to make me feel bad and finally pick it up. :D Since I love Maggie's books I have no idea why I haven't picked it up yet. Especially when I see a review for it, I want to put away what I'm currently reading and pick up The Scorpio Races. Hmm... :(

    But I'm really glad you enjoy this! I love your detailed review and hopefully I'll get around to it soon. :)

    Thanks for sharing!
    Carina

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  5. I'm listening to this audiobook right now. I really like Puck so far and I can't wait to see where the story leads.

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  6. Oh, great review! You make me even more curious to start this one now. I don't know why, but I've never really quite read what it's about until now and I have to say it does sound like a great read! I should get my hands on this soon.

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  7. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! I loved The Scorpio Races, the writing just really sucked me in and I loved the way the relationship between Puck and Sean developed.

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  8. I also have had this book sitting on my shelf for far too long, I'm pretty sure I bought it the day it was released because I love Maggie's writing! For whatever reason I have yet to read it, after your review I will be sure to make it a priority!

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  9. I've been really curious about this one. It sounds really good. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I haven't read anything by this author before. Great review!

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  10. I've been a bit unsure about whether or not to read this one, the story does sound interesting but quite strange at the same time.

    Great review - I think this is one that I really should get hold of.

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  11. I ADORED this so freaking much. It maybe even tops of my favourite Maggie Stiefvater book. The characters and the rich, gorgeous setting and yes, the ending! It actually made me a little teary <3 SOO happy you enjoyed this, fabulous review!

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  12. I kind of thought of Sean as one of those dour islanders so I wasn't put off by his standoffishness. This was a beautifully written story.

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  13. I love this review. It made me want to read this book immediately. I can't wait to meet Puck! The horses sound dark and mysterious.

    I also love that ending is perfect for the story.

    Great review!

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Thanks for stopping by! :)