100 YA Novels: The Scorpio Races
Book 2
I don't really have a set list of the books I want to write about for this. I know some that I want to include, but I know as I continue through my TBR list, I'll have new favorites to write about. This week I finished The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, and right after I closed the book, I felt compelled to write about it. It's that good.
The Scorpio Races is told from the points of view of two characters, Sean Kendrick and Kate "Puck" Connelly. They live on Thisby, a fictional island probably off the coast of Ireland. Every autumn, sea horses, capaill uisce, invade the island. They're a lot like regular horses except bigger, faster, and more powerful. These horses also feed on flesh and are incredibly dangerous. The men of Thisby have been racing the capaill uisce, every November for generations.
Sean is a horse whisperer of sorts, he has the ability to calm these dangerous beasts. He's also a four time winner of the yearly Scorpio races, which he raced under the sponsorship of the richest man on the island. This year he is racing to be able to buy Corr, the capaill uisce he races, from his boss. Puck is an orphan who lost her parents to the capaill uisce. When her older brother, and the family's chief breadwinner, informs them that he's leaving the island without Puck and their younger brother, she does the most desperate thing she can think of to try to make him stay, she enters the race. Instead of riding one of the beasts that killed her parents, she signs up to ride on her ordinary mare, Dove. This is how their paths cross.
I love the relationship between Puck and Sean. Right from the start they're drawn to each other. They're cautious since they're competitors, but as they interact with each other, they're attracted to each other's courage and passion for horses. It's easy to understand their connection. They have similar pasts, similar dreams, and similar struggles.
I loved the way Stiefvater touched on the myths of water horses in Irish and Scottish culture. Her twist on these old stories was very enjoyable. There are so many layers to this story. The conflict between Puck and the people of Thisby as she breaks tradition to become the first woman to compete in The Scorpio Races comes up multiple times throughout the story. This is a Printz Honor Book and it definitely deserves that distinction. It's well-written and engaging. I really felt a connection to the characters and the issues they were facing. I highly recommend this novel.
I don't really have a set list of the books I want to write about for this. I know some that I want to include, but I know as I continue through my TBR list, I'll have new favorites to write about. This week I finished The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, and right after I closed the book, I felt compelled to write about it. It's that good.
The Scorpio Races is told from the points of view of two characters, Sean Kendrick and Kate "Puck" Connelly. They live on Thisby, a fictional island probably off the coast of Ireland. Every autumn, sea horses, capaill uisce, invade the island. They're a lot like regular horses except bigger, faster, and more powerful. These horses also feed on flesh and are incredibly dangerous. The men of Thisby have been racing the capaill uisce, every November for generations.
Sean is a horse whisperer of sorts, he has the ability to calm these dangerous beasts. He's also a four time winner of the yearly Scorpio races, which he raced under the sponsorship of the richest man on the island. This year he is racing to be able to buy Corr, the capaill uisce he races, from his boss. Puck is an orphan who lost her parents to the capaill uisce. When her older brother, and the family's chief breadwinner, informs them that he's leaving the island without Puck and their younger brother, she does the most desperate thing she can think of to try to make him stay, she enters the race. Instead of riding one of the beasts that killed her parents, she signs up to ride on her ordinary mare, Dove. This is how their paths cross.
I love the relationship between Puck and Sean. Right from the start they're drawn to each other. They're cautious since they're competitors, but as they interact with each other, they're attracted to each other's courage and passion for horses. It's easy to understand their connection. They have similar pasts, similar dreams, and similar struggles.
I loved the way Stiefvater touched on the myths of water horses in Irish and Scottish culture. Her twist on these old stories was very enjoyable. There are so many layers to this story. The conflict between Puck and the people of Thisby as she breaks tradition to become the first woman to compete in The Scorpio Races comes up multiple times throughout the story. This is a Printz Honor Book and it definitely deserves that distinction. It's well-written and engaging. I really felt a connection to the characters and the issues they were facing. I highly recommend this novel.