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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read this again and more at the newly renovated Jason's Bookstack! http://tinyurl.com/bouxkah
★★★★☆ Stiefvater Succeeds with Excellent World Building and Story Crafting in Thrilling, if Occasionally Tedious Novel
In many ways, The Scorpio Races is the polar opposite to The Hunger Games. In Races, the kids actually get to volunteer for the chance to kill themselves in brutal gladiator-fashion. The town pretty much runs itself, no political influence mentioned whatsoever. The main character is not involved in a love triangle and her love interest is no Peeta- although, ironically, he does in one chapter bring bread to the table. There are a lot more elements that are just blatantly not Hunger Games, which you feel right away if you give this a read. These differences can make you wonder how reviewers keep calling this the perfect read for Games fans- but they’re not wrong. This, actually, would be the one book I’d recommend for fans of the famed trilogy still feeling post-series withdrawal. Like Suzanne Collins, Steifvater combines a winning mix of brilliant, imaginative world building and strong characters. There’s a great, humanistic undercurrent to the book; when the climax winds down, the characters are bared to contemplation, and there’s this great, evocative vibe that it just exudes. There’s plenty of riveting action in Races: it’s easy to get drawn into the world of the capaill uisce, or flesh-eating water horses. There’s well-researched mythology rooted at the core but Steifvater creates a fantasy character all her own, showing off chops previously hidden behind her previous werewolf-romances (she’s the author of the bestselling Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy). Reading and learning about them is fascinating, and how it weaves itself into the story is admirable.
In The Scorpio Races, Kate Connolly, who goes by Puck, is an orphan living on the small island of Thisby with her brothers. Her parents were killed in The Scorpio Races, an even that occurs each November, and is a race between riders on the capaill uisce that are caught from the sea- many die in this event. Puck ienters the race, hoping to keep her older brother, Gabe, from leaving the island and to make enough money to keep living in their house. The only horse will ride is Dove, who is small compared to the carnivorous animals of the sea. The odds are very much against her. This isn’t Puck’s story alone- perspectives vary between her and Sean. Sean has spoken to the water horses since he was young, and has inexplicably been drawn to them and the sea, even watching his father die on one. As he grows older, he works as a stable boy, taking care of and raising the capaill uisce. He’s won the Scorpio Races four times, and only keeps working for his boss so he can ride Corr, a capaill usisce he’s grown to love that’s not for sale. By winning the Scorpio Races, he’ll finally have enough to buy him. As these two form a friendship born from the waves of the sea, overcoming their greatest obstacle may be harder than they thought.
That summary really doesn’t do this book justice. So many genres are melded into the book that it’s difficult to place- it’s part fantasy, part romance, part action- even coming of age. Stiefvater’s characters are interesting to read about, and the island of Thisby and the vividly-painted world surrounding it is the kind that made The Hunger Games and Harry Potter so popular- because plain and simple, it’s a book easy to get lost in. The book is bogged down a bit in the middle because the actual Scorpio Races don’t occur until the end, but that’s alright, because it means characterization isn’t sacrificed either. It’s thrilling, satisfying, narratively complex, and even eerie- which makes for one of 2011’s best books.
The Scorpio Races
By Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Number of Pages: 416
Published by: Scholastic Press
Published: October 2011
Price: $17.99 (Hardcover)
Recommended Reading
Age: 13+
★★★★☆ Stiefvater Succeeds with Excellent World Building and Story Crafting in Thrilling, if Occasionally Tedious Novel
In many ways, The Scorpio Races is the polar opposite to The Hunger Games. In Races, the kids actually get to volunteer for the chance to kill themselves in brutal gladiator-fashion. The town pretty much runs itself, no political influence mentioned whatsoever. The main character is not involved in a love triangle and her love interest is no Peeta- although, ironically, he does in one chapter bring bread to the table. There are a lot more elements that are just blatantly not Hunger Games, which you feel right away if you give this a read. These differences can make you wonder how reviewers keep calling this the perfect read for Games fans- but they’re not wrong. This, actually, would be the one book I’d recommend for fans of the famed trilogy still feeling post-series withdrawal. Like Suzanne Collins, Steifvater combines a winning mix of brilliant, imaginative world building and strong characters. There’s a great, humanistic undercurrent to the book; when the climax winds down, the characters are bared to contemplation, and there’s this great, evocative vibe that it just exudes. There’s plenty of riveting action in Races: it’s easy to get drawn into the world of the capaill uisce, or flesh-eating water horses. There’s well-researched mythology rooted at the core but Steifvater creates a fantasy character all her own, showing off chops previously hidden behind her previous werewolf-romances (she’s the author of the bestselling Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy). Reading and learning about them is fascinating, and how it weaves itself into the story is admirable.
In The Scorpio Races, Kate Connolly, who goes by Puck, is an orphan living on the small island of Thisby with her brothers. Her parents were killed in The Scorpio Races, an even that occurs each November, and is a race between riders on the capaill uisce that are caught from the sea- many die in this event. Puck ienters the race, hoping to keep her older brother, Gabe, from leaving the island and to make enough money to keep living in their house. The only horse will ride is Dove, who is small compared to the carnivorous animals of the sea. The odds are very much against her. This isn’t Puck’s story alone- perspectives vary between her and Sean. Sean has spoken to the water horses since he was young, and has inexplicably been drawn to them and the sea, even watching his father die on one. As he grows older, he works as a stable boy, taking care of and raising the capaill uisce. He’s won the Scorpio Races four times, and only keeps working for his boss so he can ride Corr, a capaill usisce he’s grown to love that’s not for sale. By winning the Scorpio Races, he’ll finally have enough to buy him. As these two form a friendship born from the waves of the sea, overcoming their greatest obstacle may be harder than they thought.
That summary really doesn’t do this book justice. So many genres are melded into the book that it’s difficult to place- it’s part fantasy, part romance, part action- even coming of age. Stiefvater’s characters are interesting to read about, and the island of Thisby and the vividly-painted world surrounding it is the kind that made The Hunger Games and Harry Potter so popular- because plain and simple, it’s a book easy to get lost in. The book is bogged down a bit in the middle because the actual Scorpio Races don’t occur until the end, but that’s alright, because it means characterization isn’t sacrificed either. It’s thrilling, satisfying, narratively complex, and even eerie- which makes for one of 2011’s best books.
The Scorpio Races
By Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Number of Pages: 416
Published by: Scholastic Press
Published: October 2011
Price: $17.99 (Hardcover)
Recommended Reading
Age: 13+
A beautiful vacation to an early twentieth century wind-swept island. The sturdy folk of Thisby live for the annual Scorpio Races where riders of wild sea horses compete to win their future comfort. You won't fit in, but you'll feel like you just might understand the island life during this book.
I read this by audiobook on a long road trip, and it kept me very entertained on the dull hours of grey freeway! I think I actually enjoyed this more than The Raven King series (so far) since the story was so vividly drawn. I absorbed the dread and awe of the capall ishka and have been craving November cakes since I finished listening to this!
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Misogyny, Blood
I am giving this 4 stars instead of 3 because I FINALLY got hooked towards the end. It took me FOREVER to read this because I wasn't getting into it, but because everyone else liked it, for the most part, I wanted to give it an honest effort. The end killed me and I even shed a tear. The story was wonderful, not my cup of tea really, but the writing was great, the build up was fine...I just wasn't in love with any of the characters until about the middle of the book. Maybe it did take a little long to get into the meat and potatoes of the story, but overall, because it ended on such a high note, I enjoyed it.
