Friday, December 27, 2013

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater Review

4.8 out of 5 stars
So, I had heard of Maggie Stiefvater and her Shiver series (which I haven’t read), but I hadn’t heard of The Scorpio Races. A friend told me it was her favorite book, so of course I had to give it a try.
Though maybe not my favorite book, it is definitely high up on my list.
Oh, and one more thing: I basically read the entire thing last night, so it’s pretty much all I’ve been thinking about.
The Scorpio Races tells the story of Sean Kendrick and Puck Connolly, and boy and a girl on a small island with a strange pastime. Each year, in the month of November, a few dozen brave men race the vicious and bloody thirsty “water horses” in the Scorpio Races. Sean, though only 19, is a four year champion of the races, and is settled in his life. But Puck Connolly threatens to turn the island upside down when she becomes the first girl to ever compete.
Wow, this book was good. The writing was great; the point of view is split between Puck and Sean, and the author definitely gives them distinct voices. You know split POV is done well when you can tell who’s talking without having to see their names. Also, I think the characters were fully developed, and Puck and Sean were impossible not to like.
 Along with the writing, the plot was super interesting. I’ve read other books about water horses, kelpies, etc., but never portrayed in this way. I think it’s important for an author to take a different view of mythical creatures because they’ve all been so overused. So in that respect, the book was amazing.
The only little flaw I could find (hence the .2 off) was the ending. It was a good ending, don’t get me wrong, but it was very open. I’m not saying that there were loose ends or anything, but I think that, for me, I wanted just a bit more.
In conclusion, I definitely enjoyed The Scorpio Races. I would say that they are about high school age. There are several violent events and some language, but I didn’t think it was too much. Even if you’re not a huge fantasy fan, I would still give this book a try.
Thanks!
Liv
P.S. If you read this, comment below on a book you want me to review. I always need suggestions!


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