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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Sean Kindrick lives on a small island where nothing has ever been handed to him. Working in the stables, he is known in town for being the only one to truly tame the frightful water horses that, year after year, kill countless amounts of people as they arise from the sea. Each year a race takes place for those who dare to ride a water horse, but of course there is always that fearful chance that the water may call to them and they will pull you down with them. The horses are full of surprises, something Puck Connolly knows. She dislikes the horses and their fury, but she must enter the race as her house is about to be taken from her and her brothers. No woman has ever dared entered the race, but faced with a great trial, Puck's determined to win. As the obstacles for both Puck and Sean are continuous, they must pick and chose which battles they wish to fight, and which to walk away from.
Many complained that the beginning of the story started off slow and although I would agree, I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style so it didn't bother me in the slightest. I liked that even though Puck had masculine characteristics about her, the author for the most part kept many feminine characteristics which really added to the situation in the book. The fact that Puck was a female and the men ganged up on her, voicing their opinions about how she would be bad luck only showed Pucks determination as she fought against their words.
Many complained that the beginning of the story started off slow and although I would agree, I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style so it didn't bother me in the slightest. I liked that even though Puck had masculine characteristics about her, the author for the most part kept many feminine characteristics which really added to the situation in the book. The fact that Puck was a female and the men ganged up on her, voicing their opinions about how she would be bad luck only showed Pucks determination as she fought against their words.
Loved it!
I thought this book was wonderful. After reading this (along with the Raven Boys and Lament), I have decided that Ms. Stiefvater is one of my favorite writers. I am one to enjoy dark, mystifying, and suspenseful reads and I definitely count this as one of them. I love how the author used various aspects around the folklore of what I know as kelpies (Scottish lore I think) and used them to mold her story into something original and captivating. The story wasn't truly about the race but the relationships and the sense of being, knowing where one belongs and the lengths one would take in order to achieve one's wants and needs. I found the romance subtle and not at all overwhelming, perfect for this type of story, and the characterization of most characters in the story was on point. There were a few generic characters but I was willing to let that pass. I found Kate/Puck Connolly and Sean Kendrick to be relatable and intriguing characters whose relations towards one another slowly came into being and had a chance to grow and shape itself into something that wasn't entirely certain but had potential in the very end to be very powerful and constant, which I liked very much. There were moments in the story that kind of dragged down the pace, but towards the middle of the book I began to notice that maybe the author didn't want to focus on the race per se, but the growth in the characters, which is always okay in my book. I loved the dark imagery and the development between rider and horse, and the end definitely pulled at the heartstrings but I'm glad for it. I highly recommend this one and though it may not be everyone's cup of tea, I think there are many elements in this story that would regale any avid reader.
I thought this book was wonderful. After reading this (along with the Raven Boys and Lament), I have decided that Ms. Stiefvater is one of my favorite writers. I am one to enjoy dark, mystifying, and suspenseful reads and I definitely count this as one of them. I love how the author used various aspects around the folklore of what I know as kelpies (Scottish lore I think) and used them to mold her story into something original and captivating. The story wasn't truly about the race but the relationships and the sense of being, knowing where one belongs and the lengths one would take in order to achieve one's wants and needs. I found the romance subtle and not at all overwhelming, perfect for this type of story, and the characterization of most characters in the story was on point. There were a few generic characters but I was willing to let that pass. I found Kate/Puck Connolly and Sean Kendrick to be relatable and intriguing characters whose relations towards one another slowly came into being and had a chance to grow and shape itself into something that wasn't entirely certain but had potential in the very end to be very powerful and constant, which I liked very much. There were moments in the story that kind of dragged down the pace, but towards the middle of the book I began to notice that maybe the author didn't want to focus on the race per se, but the growth in the characters, which is always okay in my book. I loved the dark imagery and the development between rider and horse, and the end definitely pulled at the heartstrings but I'm glad for it. I highly recommend this one and though it may not be everyone's cup of tea, I think there are many elements in this story that would regale any avid reader.
Good - a really immersive reading experience. I think I was more taken with the writer's style and ability than the actual plot of the book, but I was interested the whole time.
I want to be on that island with those horses, desperately.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Meh. Loved the myth retelling & worldbuilbuilding but the characters felt underdeveloped & the plot was a little weak. Author left me with too many unanswered questions
i coudln't realy get into this book, i read it anyway and i ddint like it very much:(
The concept of this book is odd. And trying to explain it to other people was difficult. I will say that like Incarceron, this book was a good weird book. The book itself we lyrical, I have always wanted to live on the strand. Love to live by the ocean and this book I feel captures the love of it.
I am afraid of horses. Don't know what it is just, kinda don't like them. So I liked that this book is about flesh eating horses, though I wish she would have called them kelpies so I didn't have to spend the entire book mispronouncing the sea horses name. I liked the kitchen witch magics that they used on the horses the color red, salt, counter clockwise, lead and the like.
I didn't like how difficult it was for me to tell the two points of view, and that it took me a while to get most of the characters placed. I'm glad I got this as a 2.99 ebook, as I feel this is a good price for this book.
Weak reasons for this girl to enter a race, pretty nice villains. The repetitious talk of riding horses and the ocean got to me after a while, however poetic they were. Nothing graphic except some minor man eating horses eating some men and sheep and dogs. Nothing farther than a kiss.
For teens looking for a slightly morose love story, set against a background of horses and the ocean. For tweens 13 and up.
I am afraid of horses. Don't know what it is just, kinda don't like them. So I liked that this book is about flesh eating horses, though I wish she would have called them kelpies so I didn't have to spend the entire book mispronouncing the sea horses name. I liked the kitchen witch magics that they used on the horses the color red, salt, counter clockwise, lead and the like.
I didn't like how difficult it was for me to tell the two points of view, and that it took me a while to get most of the characters placed. I'm glad I got this as a 2.99 ebook, as I feel this is a good price for this book.
Weak reasons for this girl to enter a race, pretty nice villains. The repetitious talk of riding horses and the ocean got to me after a while, however poetic they were. Nothing graphic except some minor man eating horses eating some men and sheep and dogs. Nothing farther than a kiss.
For teens looking for a slightly morose love story, set against a background of horses and the ocean. For tweens 13 and up.
I love this book. I've never read books about water horses and I found this to be really interesting. I love that Puck overcame so many trials. I loved how strange and other Sean Kendrick was. I loved the strange island the story is set on. A good story.
First: July 24 to July 27, 2012.
Again: October 2015. I still love it.
First: July 24 to July 27, 2012.
Again: October 2015. I still love it.