Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Narrator(s): Fiona Hardingham and Steve West
Series: n/a
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
Source: audiobook, purchased
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.
So, I’ve had
The Scorpio Races sitting on my shelf since it was released in October. Being that it’s a Maggie Stiefvater novel, I imagined I’d need to read it immediately, but since it wasn’t the continuation of a series, I guess that pressing need to read it wasn’t, well, pressing. That’s not to say I wasn’t excited to read it…far from it. I even kept it at the top of the stack “to be read in the very near future”. Alas, life and other obligations happened, and so it still has not been read.
I did, however, purchase the audio in a BOGO sale on
Audible.com, along with
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick, another novel I’ve been meaning to read since its release but just haven’t found the time. I am so very glad I listened to the audio for
The Scorpio Races, not simply because I can now pronounce
capall uisce – the name for the deadly Irish water horses – but also because the accented rendering by both narrators made the whole experience feel more authentic. (Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that the yummy voice of Sean has a
yummy face to go with it.) (By the way, the pronunciation of
capall uisce is something like this: kah-pull ish-kah. Yeah.)
Now, having heard this tale of a race where the contestants ride killer water horses, I wish I’d found the time earlier to read the novel. I wish when it was first released, and there were naysayers and those complaining about the lack of action, etc., I could have said to all of them, “You have entirely missed the point of this story.” Yes, every reader is different and every person wants to take something different away from a story. What I took away from
The Scorpio Races was not a new concept: every action has consequences. Every choice we make in life can take us down any number of paths and lead to many more possibilities. I loved the open-endedness of this novel. I never tried to guess where the story was headed; I was just happy to be along for the ride.
The love story in
The Scorpio Races isn’t really a love story, at least not in the traditional sense. There is plenty of love amidst the pages of this novel; it’s just not always romantic. When love does finally find its place between Puck and Sean, it’s not all-consuming or immediate. It develops slowly over the course of their training for the races. It’s a quiet, somber thing that happens between these two characters, but it’s real and very much befitting the circumstances with which they came together in the first place.
Kate “Puck” Connolly is an honest and forthright young woman, still dealing with the loss of her parents and facing the loss of her older brother, though each to different circumstances. Puck was such a breath of fresh air in a genre ripe with stereotypes and unimaginative characters. Her decision to ride in the race isn’t heaped in feminism or her need to prove herself. Instead, it stems from her earlier loss and the need to keep her family’s house, even if Gabe is set against the whole idea. Her older brother has already given up and made other plans, but Puck will not give in so easily.
Sean Kendrick is an enigma. He, too, has lost a parent to the dangerous
capall uisce, though his loss is no result of a mere accident. His father rode in the Scorpio races and died doing so. And now, Sean competes in the race each fall. In fact, he’s won for the last four years. He is a loner but also lonely. Sean’s only real friend is his red water horse, Corr. But Corr is not his, not really. Just as Puck is trying to save her home from the clutches of Benjamin Malvern, Sean wants to make Corr his own horse, much to the dismay of his owner, Mr. Malvern.
And, so, Puck and Sean are united against a common foe. But only one of them can win the race. Regardless, they stand by each other, even when warned against it…and despite an awkward first encounter. It’s hard to believe that on an island of 4,000, they never made each other’s acquaintance, though maybe they never needed each other before this.
Even if I couldn’t stand the two main characters, the remaining cast would have been enough to make me love this story. From Finn, the tinkering, laughable younger brother to Dory Maud and the flirty American George Holly, who tends to make everything his business…well, I’m not sure I could pick a favorite character. There was certainly a lot of love to go around, even if it wasn’t the kissing sort. And the story was so much better for it.
I love when a story, no matter how dangerous or sad, makes me want to live it myself. I can’t immediately identify with what the characters have gone through or what they’re going through at the time of the story, but I still felt so connected to them. Maggie’s lyrical, haunting prose strikes again, I suppose. No matter what critics or even fans of her previous works have to say about it, I adored this story immensely and would recommend it to readers who can keep an open mind and those who find all facets of a story engaging, not just the action or the romance.
Rating:
Monday, March 19, 2012
Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop
Okay, guys, so this isn't the easiest thing for me to do, but it needs to be done. I know my husband is tired of adding shelves in my office, and truth be told, there's not really any room to add any more. I've expanded as much as I can. So, if I want to add any more books to my collection, I have to weed some out. Sad, but true. Otherwise, every book I read from now on has to be an ebook. And as much as I love my Nook, I still love the smell of a real book, the feel of turning real pages, and the sense of accomplishment when you shut a book at the end and sigh that final sigh of contentment. Or, as in some cases, throw the book across the room and scream in frustration. Either one doesn't work well if you're reading an ebook.
So, I'm clearing off some shelves to make way for more books. And you guys will reap the benefits. Not a bad deal, huh? I debated and debated how to separate the books for this giveaway. There are nineteen books in this giveaway, afterall:
Do I do three boxes of books, approximately six in each one? Or, since the majority of what I'm clearing out is vampire-related, do I do a vampire box and an other box? In the end, I succumbed to my practical mind and decided that shipping two boxes was plenty, so here are your choices:
The VAMPIRE box:
And the EVERYTHING-BUT-THE-KITCHEN-SINK box:
Sunday, March 18, 2012
In My Mailbox #23
In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a weekly meme where we all get to brag about the books and swag we got in the mail, for review, won in contests, etc.
For Review:
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth, from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via Netgalley
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via Netgalley
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne, from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via Netgalley
Friday, March 16, 2012
Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop
Along with drinking green beer and partying it up at the St. Patty's Day parade, I'm celebrating St. Patrick's Day by giving away a book set on the cliffs of Ireland itself. I just recently listened to The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, and though many reviewers have given this book a lukewarm reception, I absolutely fell in love with the story. You can find my review HERE. If you're a fan of Maggie's, or you're just curious to see how she handles a stand-alone story after the wonder that was The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, read on to enter to win your own copy of The Scorpio Races, plus a signed postcard from Maggie.
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Series: n/a
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
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.
I listened to the audio but I have a hardcover of my own. You won't be getting that one, though, because I loved the audio so much that I'll definitely be going back for a re-read. :)
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Audiobook Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Narrator(s): Fiona Hardingham and Steve West
Series: n/a
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
Source: audiobook, purchased
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.
So, I’ve had The Scorpio Races sitting on my shelf since it was released in October. Being that it’s a Maggie Stiefvater novel, I imagined I’d need to read it immediately, but since it wasn’t the continuation of a series, I guess that pressing need to read it wasn’t, well, pressing. That’s not to say I wasn’t excited to read it…far from it. I even kept it at the top of the stack “to be read in the very near future”. Alas, life and other obligations happened, and so it still has not been read.
I did, however, purchase the audio in a BOGO sale on Audible.com, along with Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick, another novel I’ve been meaning to read since its release but just haven’t found the time. I am so very glad I listened to the audio for The Scorpio Races, not simply because I can now pronounce capall uisce – the name for the deadly Irish water horses – but also because the accented rendering by both narrators made the whole experience feel more authentic. (Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that the yummy voice of Sean has a yummy face to go with it.) (By the way, the pronunciation of capall uisce is something like this: kah-pull ish-kah. Yeah.)
Now, having heard this tale of a race where the contestants ride killer water horses, I wish I’d found the time earlier to read the novel. I wish when it was first released, and there were naysayers and those complaining about the lack of action, etc., I could have said to all of them, “You have entirely missed the point of this story.” Yes, every reader is different and every person wants to take something different away from a story. What I took away from The Scorpio Races was not a new concept: every action has consequences. Every choice we make in life can take us down any number of paths and lead to many more possibilities. I loved the open-endedness of this novel. I never tried to guess where the story was headed; I was just happy to be along for the ride.
The love story in The Scorpio Races isn’t really a love story, at least not in the traditional sense. There is plenty of love amidst the pages of this novel; it’s just not always romantic. When love does finally find its place between Puck and Sean, it’s not all-consuming or immediate. It develops slowly over the course of their training for the races. It’s a quiet, somber thing that happens between these two characters, but it’s real and very much befitting the circumstances with which they came together in the first place.
Kate “Puck” Connolly is an honest and forthright young woman, still dealing with the loss of her parents and facing the loss of her older brother, though each to different circumstances. Puck was such a breath of fresh air in a genre ripe with stereotypes and unimaginative characters. Her decision to ride in the race isn’t heaped in feminism or her need to prove herself. Instead, it stems from her earlier loss and the need to keep her family’s house, even if Gabe is set against the whole idea. Her older brother has already given up and made other plans, but Puck will not give in so easily.
Sean Kendrick is an enigma. He, too, has lost a parent to the dangerous capall uisce, though his loss is no result of a mere accident. His father rode in the Scorpio races and died doing so. And now, Sean competes in the race each fall. In fact, he’s won for the last four years. He is a loner but also lonely. Sean’s only real friend is his red water horse, Corr. But Corr is not his, not really. Just as Puck is trying to save her home from the clutches of Benjamin Malvern, Sean wants to make Corr his own horse, much to the dismay of his owner, Mr. Malvern.
And, so, Puck and Sean are united against a common foe. But only one of them can win the race. Regardless, they stand by each other, even when warned against it…and despite an awkward first encounter. It’s hard to believe that on an island of 4,000, they never made each other’s acquaintance, though maybe they never needed each other before this.
Even if I couldn’t stand the two main characters, the remaining cast would have been enough to make me love this story. From Finn, the tinkering, laughable younger brother to Dory Maud and the flirty American George Holly, who tends to make everything his business…well, I’m not sure I could pick a favorite character. There was certainly a lot of love to go around, even if it wasn’t the kissing sort. And the story was so much better for it.
I love when a story, no matter how dangerous or sad, makes me want to live it myself. I can’t immediately identify with what the characters have gone through or what they’re going through at the time of the story, but I still felt so connected to them. Maggie’s lyrical, haunting prose strikes again, I suppose. No matter what critics or even fans of her previous works have to say about it, I adored this story immensely and would recommend it to readers who can keep an open mind and those who find all facets of a story engaging, not just the action or the romance.
Rating:
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway
Author: Jill Hathaway
Series: Slide
Publisher: Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins
Publication Date: March 27, 2012
Source: ARC
Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.
Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.
Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.
As I was reading Slide, I was reminded of my time reading Fracture by Megan Miranda. I liked the characters, but I never felt at one with them. What really got me into the story, however, was the mystery, the thrill of the chase. This story was YA contemporary in nature, with an awesome paranormal twist. And you know that’s how I like my contemporary.
Just because I didn’t immediately connect with the characters, though, doesn’t mean they’re not relatable or are totally unlikeable. Quite the contrary. I was sucked into the story and finished it in one sitting, if that tells you anything. But sometimes you are so involved in a story that you feel as if you are going through things with the character, instead of simply watching as they tackle their obstacles, and that wasn’t the case with the characters in Slide.
But I enjoyed watching Vee figure out her ability, or curse, depending on how you look at it. Vee’s been through a lot, and things really started to get weird for her after the death of her mother. Still having both of my parents around, I can’t imagine how hard Vee’s life has been up to this point, but I can’t imagine it got any easier once she developed the power to “slide” into other’s conscious thoughts and actions whenever she passes out. Though, this power does come in handy once she learns how to control it a little better and uses it to try to discover the identity of the killer.
Admittedly, I was a little over halfway through when the puzzle pieces all aligned and I knew without a doubt who the killer was. But I love that any number of suspicions could have been proven correct and led Vee right to the killer. Motives were aplenty and dubious behavior was out in full force. It’s really anybody’s guess who done it. However, I often wonder if I’ve just read too much or seen too much and that’s why I find plots more predictable than others. Maybe I just have an uncanny sense for it. Either way, I don’t think many will find it as easy to determine the killer as I did, especially with all the twists and second-guessing that goes on in the story. I had several theories going before my final guess even panned out.
Slide was an absolutely phenomenal read. I’ve probably been over-using that word lately, but in all seriousness, all of the debut novels I’ve read this year have been, well, phenomenal! And Slide was no different. If you’re looking for a good murder mystery that keeps you on your toes and has you suspecting everyone, including the best friend, look no further.
Rating:
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starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
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