Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this. It isn't your typical YA fantasy, there's conflicts, drama, a touch of romance. It's refreshing, no "We've just met but OMG I love you and you're my soulmate" a'la Twilight. The ending was bittersweet though but at least a certain someone got their comeuppance.
3.5
It was unlike anything else I've read and I thought it was well written. I liked the characters of Puck and Sean. I liked the subtle romance to it.
My main gripe is perhaps that I'm surprised people would continue to live on an island where they have to worry about being eaten, but then people still live in Tornado Alley.
It was unlike anything else I've read and I thought it was well written. I liked the characters of Puck and Sean. I liked the subtle romance to it.
My main gripe is perhaps that I'm surprised people would continue to live on an island where they have to worry about being eaten, but then people still live in Tornado Alley.
I think the opening lines is one of the best I’ve ever read “It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.” It perfectly sets up the rest of the novel. THE NOVEMBER CAKES SOUND DELICIOUS!!
The first hundred or so pages were a struggle to get into but once I fully sat down, Puck & Sean lured me into their story & I was enchanted by their dance around their feelings, their final admittance, their soft, simple “training”. I loved they way they loved Dove & Corr. Finn’s a sweetie & I love him so much!!
The most amazing part was how atmospheric Thisby was from its raging weather to the salty air, what made this even better was that fact that I sat, on a beach, & read the majority of the book with sand on my legs, salt on my tongue and wind swept hair.
I had a terrible thought just before the races that if either Sean or Puck died, I would’ve definitely cried! Also WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ENDING?!?!
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!
DOES PUCK GET THE JOB AT THE MALVEN YARD?! DOES SHE BECOME RICH FROM HER WORK & CONTINUE RIDING IN THE RACES EACH YEAR?
DO SEAN & PUCK GET MARRIED??! (Also when Corr refused the ocean to be with Sean
The first hundred or so pages were a struggle to get into but once I fully sat down, Puck & Sean lured me into their story & I was enchanted by their dance around their feelings, their final admittance, their soft, simple “training”. I loved they way they loved Dove & Corr. Finn’s a sweetie & I love him so much!!
The most amazing part was how atmospheric Thisby was from its raging weather to the salty air, what made this even better was that fact that I sat, on a beach, & read the majority of the book with sand on my legs, salt on my tongue and wind swept hair.
I had a terrible thought just before the races that if either Sean or Puck died, I would’ve definitely cried! Also WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ENDING?!?!
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!
DOES PUCK GET THE JOB AT THE MALVEN YARD?! DOES SHE BECOME RICH FROM HER WORK & CONTINUE RIDING IN THE RACES EACH YEAR?
DO SEAN & PUCK GET MARRIED??! (Also when Corr refused the ocean to be with Sean
I have to give a critique speech for my public speaking class so I chose The Scorpio Races to talk about. So obviously I HAD to listen to it again for "research purposes"
I think Maggie had an interesting idea here. It's just that she could've woven a much better story with it. There were too many incidents with the horses and meaningless deaths.. I mean come on, the characters always went on in the next chapters as if nothing had happened. I found it ridicolous that no women were allowed to race in the games and that Puck was the first one to rebel against that. Also the romance seemed to come out of nowhere.
It's a little bit sad because I liked the idea of ferocious waterhorses and the races.
It's a little bit sad because I liked the idea of ferocious waterhorses and the races.
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars I'm debating between a 3 and 4 stars on this one, but I've settled on a 3 star. I might change it to a 4 stars later...
I think the idea of this book was amazing. The story is about a horse race. But not your usual horses. Water horses. The two main characters are Sean Kendrick and Puck Connolley. Sean is a quiet, controlled, and hidden type person. He keeps to himself. He's the bold-in-a-quiet-type way. Puck is just your average girl, living with her 2 brothers, who decided to sign up for the race. Many people compete in the race, but there's only one winner, and that winner gets a large money prize. Many people die, and it's a super dangerous race.
First off, I didn't like Puck. She always needed rescuing, and she seemed weak. I feel like she had no personality at all. She was trying to act brave, but she wasn't. She was just boring, unrealistic, and just bleh.
I did like Sean though. I loved how his quietness spoke for him. He didn't say much, but he conveyed whatever he was trying to say easily. And I also liked how he had a hard time conveying emotion. I think it was a good and realistic fault, that added alot to the story.
The romance in this book was ok.I think Stiefvater took her time building up the romance, but when it happened, she pushed it wayy too fast. And, I But I did enjoy the slowness, how it wasn't love at first sight.
I also felt like the race went by too fast. She spent over 350 pages building up to the race, and then the race was over in what felt like not even 5 pages. It was kind of pathetic, actually.
Overall, the book wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a high-paced, fast action book, and that's not what I got. Throughout the book, there were highs and lows, and the beginning was very confusing and hard to get into, and there were times when it slowed down to a point where I was wanting to skip ahead just to make it go faster. Still, I liked the ending. It was an enjoyable book, it just had alot missing to it.
I think the idea of this book was amazing. The story is about a horse race. But not your usual horses. Water horses. The two main characters are Sean Kendrick and Puck Connolley. Sean is a quiet, controlled, and hidden type person. He keeps to himself. He's the bold-in-a-quiet-type way. Puck is just your average girl, living with her 2 brothers, who decided to sign up for the race. Many people compete in the race, but there's only one winner, and that winner gets a large money prize. Many people die, and it's a super dangerous race.
First off, I didn't like Puck. She always needed rescuing, and she seemed weak. I feel like she had no personality at all. She was trying to act brave, but she wasn't. She was just boring, unrealistic, and just bleh.
I did like Sean though. I loved how his quietness spoke for him. He didn't say much, but he conveyed whatever he was trying to say easily. And I also liked how he had a hard time conveying emotion. I think it was a good and realistic fault, that added alot to the story.
The romance in this book was ok.I think Stiefvater took her time building up the romance, but when it happened, she pushed it wayy too fast. And, I
Spoiler
almost missed the part where they kissed. It was just 3 words, so easily skipped. I don't even think it should have been in thereI also felt like the race went by too fast. She spent over 350 pages building up to the race, and then the race was over in what felt like not even 5 pages. It was kind of pathetic, actually.
Overall, the book wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a high-paced, fast action book, and that's not what I got. Throughout the book, there were highs and lows, and the beginning was very confusing and hard to get into, and there were times when it slowed down to a point where I was wanting to skip ahead just to make it go faster. Still, I liked the ending. It was an enjoyable book, it just had alot missing to it.
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I remain so impressed with how Stiefvater is able to encapsulate the honesty and irrationality of human emotions in her writing, and incorporates these moments of dry humor and even a creepy scene that crosses into horror. This is a young adult book that reads like a new adult and an adult book all at the same time.
I am not a horse girl, nor am I someone who has risky hobbies. This book felt like a love letter to horse people and people who are in love with dangerous things. Even though I don’t relate, I believed in Puck’s and especially Sean’s love for the things that they care about, even if those things are what others fear or are trying to escape from.
Stiefvater has a very particular way of writing, and I can understand if people find her characters flat. They aren’t necessarily super vivid… And yet they are some of the most authentically human characters I’ve ever read about. It’s a slow build-up of hundreds of pages leading up to a short burst of action that lasts less than twenty pages, and all of it was filled with desperation and passion.
The capaill uisce were SO cool, straddling the line between horse and sea monster in a way that was so subtle and ominous. I was intrigued by all the tricks that Sean uses to try and calm and control the water horses in a way that wasn’t really “magic”, but was rooted in a kind of old tradition that felt like it with the way it was described.
This made me chuckle, it made me angry, it filled me with anticipation, I liked it immediately and fell in love with it slowly. This was beautiful!!
YouTube review: https://youtu.be/m4HwdMl31rk
I am not a horse girl, nor am I someone who has risky hobbies. This book felt like a love letter to horse people and people who are in love with dangerous things. Even though I don’t relate, I believed in Puck’s and especially Sean’s love for the things that they care about, even if those things are what others fear or are trying to escape from.
Stiefvater has a very particular way of writing, and I can understand if people find her characters flat. They aren’t necessarily super vivid… And yet they are some of the most authentically human characters I’ve ever read about. It’s a slow build-up of hundreds of pages leading up to a short burst of action that lasts less than twenty pages, and all of it was filled with desperation and passion.
The capaill uisce were SO cool, straddling the line between horse and sea monster in a way that was so subtle and ominous. I was intrigued by all the tricks that Sean uses to try and calm and control the water horses in a way that wasn’t really “magic”, but was rooted in a kind of old tradition that felt like it with the way it was described.
This made me chuckle, it made me angry, it filled me with anticipation, I liked it immediately and fell in love with it slowly. This was beautiful!!
YouTube review: https://youtu.be/m4HwdMl31rk
Tienes que tragarte 90% del libro para que por fin empiece la susodicha carrera, que solo dura un capítulo y está bien en verga (medio groserito pero es verdad). Estuvo meh el libro, romance y caballos asesinos, yee haw
This was an interesting book. It has a unique twist to a fairly trope-laden story. But, I found it decently well done.
If you love horse stories this would probably hit harder.
If you love horse stories this would probably hit harder.
Can I give this 3.75 stars? I feel that's an appropriate rating for this book. I went into this expecting an action packed, fast paced, thrilling story, but it was actually so slow paced, it took so long to get anywhere and I spent well over a month trying to read this. On the other hand, I thought the writing was beautiful and so descriptive and vivid, I could easily picture myself in the setting, and I did really like the two main characters. Overall a good read, but I think I'm just not much of a horse girl.