It’s November, and it’s time for the Scorpio Races. The Scorpio Races feature young men on the backs of carnivorous water horses. It’s time for the Scorpio Races, and that means someone will die. Stablehand Sean Kendrick has a way with these fearsome animals: he has also won the Scorpio Races four times. Kate Connalley–also known as Puck– has entered the races out of necessity and desperation. She is the first girl to ever enter the races. The stakes are high for both teens, and no knows how it will all turn out.
One of the first thoughts I had while reading the book was “It’s like Misty of Chincoteague, but with horror elements”. In retrospect, I am not sure the comparison is entirely inaccurate. Like Misty, this book is very touching in terms of both of Sean’s and Puck’s relationships with their horses. Sean has a particularly touching relationship with Corr–one of the water horses. I also found Stiefvater’s portrayal of this island and the people there to be simply amazing; I felt like I was really there. I also thought she did a great job with the relationship between people. Another strength was the pacing of the story. Quite simply, the book was quite touching, for all of its brutality, and a fast-paced read. Overall, I was impressed and highly recommend Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races.
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