The first of November marks the Scorpio Races, a Thisby tradition in which riders must tame their water horses to reach the finish line. Some riders will live, and others will die. As fall approaches, the water horses can be seen making their way out of the water, and terrifying the island residents of Thisby. Kate Connolly, otherwise known as Puck, decides to race. Despite island misgivings about Puck being the first female to race, and her fear of water horses after they killed her parents years ago, Puck stands tall and enters the race. She meets Sean Kendrick, a young man who has won the previous four races, and is in favor to win this year. Through hard work and determination, can Puck be the next champion of the Scorpio Races, or will she come to see the same fate as her parents?The concept for this book is unique. It's not often YA books revolve around killer horses that have sprung from the ocean. Although the character development of Sean and Puck is on point, the action and climax seem to be stinted. The build up of the races lasts almost the entirety of the book, and the actual race is mere pages in comparison. With so much leading up to the race, I expected a race that was going to last days and the riders and horses would endure multiple obstacles. Yet, the race is one quick run down the beach. Not to say this completely ruined the story for me.
I enjoyed the character development enough to keep reading. The budding romance between Sean and Puck happened slow enough that I was intrigued to see what the outcome would be. A flaw that stood out to me immediately was the time period, or lack thereof. There was no way to discern whether the setting was in present day, or 40 years ago. Overall, if you enjoy horses, and the dark plots so common to YA fiction, I would recommend this book.
Similar Reads:
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Green Witch by Alice Hoffman
