Friday, July 29, 2016

Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater


The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Copy borrowed

Summary (from Goodreads):

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. 

What I Liked:

I've had this book on my TBR for a long time, but never pushed myself to read it. A loooong time ago, I read Shiver and Linger by this author, but didn't like Linger so I never finished the series. I haven't read her Raven Cycle series either, though I do want to binge-read that series in the future. The Scorpio Races seemed like a good place to try again, since it's a standalone, and my good friend Pili read it recently and liked it a lot. So, I'm counting this as my July Pili-Pushed novel!

The Scorpio Races happen on the island every year. Every year, riders choose a water horse, train for a month, and race. Puck Connolly lives with her older brother and younger brother, getting by meagerly. When Gabe (her older brother) tells them he's leaving the island, Puck decides to enter the Races, something no female has ever done. Sean Kendrick has won the Races four times. But winning isn't what he cares about - he loves the ocean and the horse he rides, Corr. But both he and Corr are owned and have no freedom. Freedom is what Sean wants, and this year's Races might be the way to get it.

This book is told in alternating first-person POVs, so we get to experience both Sean and Puck's thoughts and feelings. I liked both perspectives a lot, which doesn't typically happen with me! Another thing that I liked about the narrative was the length of the chapters - the chapters were fairly short. Usually you find fifteen to twenty page chapters in YA books? These chapters were three or four pages long, most of the time. Which I thought was very different and cool!

I liked Puck - or Kate, though she prefers Puck. She's learned to take care of herself and her brothers long ago, after her parents were killed by the ferocious water horses. When Puck enters herself in the Races, she enters her horse, Dove, who isn't a water horse. There are so many complexities to Puck that I liked discovering and figuring out.

If Puck was complex, then Sean was a maze of intricacies. Sean is a man of few (no) words, and yet his presence is enormous. He's a four-time Champion, but he's also something of a water horse whisperer. No one can train the beasts and keep them under control like Sean. Sean works for Malvern's stables, who practically owns him. Sean seems to only have one weakness - Corr, the blood-red stallion that is Malvern's, that Benjamin Malvern lets Sean ride every year.

The pair meet after Puck decides to ride in the Races. Many people of the island do not want Puck anywhere near the Races. It is Sean that sways the people to let her sign up, and Sean that gives her tips about the Races, and Sean that helps her and her horse train. 

In a way, this book was completely about the Races, and yet not about the Races at all. It's about Puck's growth from a directionless girl to a stubborn rider who fights for what she wants. It's about Sean's fight for his freedom and his horse, both of which are more important to him than the Races. Sean's journey was more interesting to me, and more heartbreaking. 

Sean is the brooding, mysterious boy that everyone is curious about, that everyone loves and everyone stares at. He's the one that everyone knows and is in awe of. Puck is the girl that no one wants in the Races, the poor girl whose house is about to be taken away. I love this story of two unlikely characters finding their way.

So there is romance, a subtle and barely-there type. This book takes place over the course of a month or so, but it doesn't feel that way (it feels like days). It felt like Puck and Sean barely knew each other, but they trained together a lot, and days blurred together. I liked seeing the subtle romance, though it felt a little too barely-there at times.

The Races themselves happened in the last twenty pages or so, so it felt like it was over before it began. But like I said, the Races were both everything and nothing in this story. The Races were short but heart-stopping, and the outcome was both unsurprising and shocking.

Overall, I liked the book. I do have some complaints, but I can see the appeal of this book. Books centered around horses typically aren't my thing, but I enjoyed this one!

What I Did Not Like:

I kept hearing about the beautiful romance in this book, and so I think I had pretty high expectations... the romance is subtle and slow-moving, and it's barely there... I guess I was expecting fireworks? So I was a tiny bit disappointed. But hey, those were my high expectations, not the book/author's fault.

The pacing of this book is soooooooo slow. Like, incredibly so. The first one hundred pages of this book were so so so boring. The writing of this book is great but it really adds to the slowness in the beginning. Once I started getting into the Puck/Sean interactions, I started to get more invested in the story. But this book moves very slowly, in pacing.

In terms of actual time, it's very deceptive. I think at least a month passes, but it honestly felt like a week or two. I don't think the author did the best job of conveying the passing of time. But that could be just me!

Would I Recommend It:

If you've been a part of the YA world of literature, I'm sure you've heard of this book, or at the very least, this author. I can see why people love this book, and why there is so much hype surrounding the author. I did like this book and I would recommend the book if you're like me and had been wanting to read it - it's worth it, if you were already curious! 

But if you weren't really curious... meh. To me, it was magical and life-changing like I expected. Part of me expected epic action (I saw somewhere that someone compared this book to The Hunger Games? HOW?!), and while I wasn't disappointed that there wasn't any, I wasn't particularly thrilled with the really slow pace of the book. Again, this wasn't magical and life-changing for me. It was good, but not amaaaazing.

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. I enjoyed this book and am glad I finally made myself read it! It was worth sating my curiosity. I can't see myself rereading it for any reason, or singing its praises from the rooftops, but I do see why so many people flipped out (in a good way!) over how awesome they thought the book was.


Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

18 comments:

  1. I really need to read a Maggie Steifvater book. I tried reading Scorpio Races several years ago but never finished (like you said in your review, it is very slow)... I think I should try again though! I am curious! Awesome review :)

    Emily @ Reader Rising

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    1. Aww, I'm sorry! But I totally understand! I'm hoping that the Raven Cycle series will be incredible.

      Thank you, Emily Anne!

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  2. I'm that person who still hasn't read any Maggie Stiefvater, gah. But I'm glad that book was worth the read! Good to know the pacing is slow. Lovely review, Alyssa!

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    1. Without a good push, I'd still be right there with you! Thank you, Cyn. <3

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  3. Yeah I've had this book on my TBR for what feels like ever. I love the sound of the actual races and the characters. You know me and complex characters. They are like my drug of choice. I can definitely understand why you were mildly disappointed by the romance. I've heard it's epic too so I would have expected a stronger presence as well. Oh well. I'm glad you enjoyed it overall!
    Lovely review! :)

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    1. I feel like you'd rave about this book, Nick! Or absolutely hate it - it could go either way, but I think you'd like it. I definitely wanted more romance, but because everyone really talked it up. *sigh*

      Thank you!

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  4. oh I hear ya about the romance...its something I can be picky about, so I can see how that aspect would be disappointing.

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    1. Me too! And especially since so many people gushed about the romance... it was kind of meh, for all that gushing. o.o

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  5. My brother in law asked me if I'd read this book. I haven't. There are several things you mentioned that makes me think my students would like to read it, though -- especially the part about the short chapters. Great for reluctant readers!
    Dianna

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    1. Oooo, you should definitely give it a try then, for your students! I really liked the short chapters, they helped keep my interest. :D

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  6. Great review Alyssa and that's why I am going too check this one out of the library one day because I almost bought it but didn't. And now after reading your review I am glad I didn't buy it and I prefer too check it out from the library and see if I like it or not. Thank you for your awesome post my dear friend.

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    1. Thank you! If you read it, I hope you like it. But if you don't, I hope you read something awesome instead! =)

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  7. Fantastic review! I want to try this book due to the author alone since I liked The Raven Cycle series so much. Sorry it was slow though. :/

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    1. Thank you! I need to read the Raven Cycle series. And slow is not always bad! In this case, it wasn't great, but meh!

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  8. I'm really glad to hear you read and liked this Pili Pushed book! Even if you didn't love it as much as I did!
    I think the audiobook might have made it more magical for me, because the atmosphere and the narrators are amazing!!

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    1. I keep hearing about the audiobook! Kathy MacMillan adored the audio and really recommended it. If I tried audiobooks, this would be my first for sure. :D

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  9. Sad face. I'm a bit upset you did not love this book :( I have read it 7 times, I think, haha :) I love this book THE MOST. And I thought the small romance was the most amazing thing, haha :) But I do get why you had some issues. Okay, fine, I don't get it at all, haha :D But I do love your review even so. <3 All the hugs. Anyway, I am glad you liked the book at least :)

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    1. I liked it but didn't love it, you know? I think my expectations were too high.

      Thank you, Carina! <333

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