Review: THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater

TITLE: The Scorpio Races
AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
FANTASY ELEMENT: Mythological Water Horses
PUBLISHED: Scholastic Press (October 18, 2011)
SOURCE: Kindle via Amazon
RATING: 5: Excellent

SYNOPSIS:

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.

REVIEW:

There is just something amazing about The Scorpio Races. The tone set in this book does not allow you to be in any other mood other than the one blowing around the island of Thisby. The descriptions of the story world are magical. There is not much of hint to where this island is located, but I was guessing Ireland because of the Gaelic words and sometimes the characters’ verbiage.

The overall story is slowly paced for such a thrilling ride into the Scorpio races on the backs of carnivorous horses. It is kind of a dichotomy that the race and the training beforehand is so dangerous and yet the pace of the story goes slow and steady. It is a ride of a different g-force. It’s like a Stief-force! This dichotomy shows up in the story with the difference between the capall uice and the mare that Puck rides. It is absolutely delightful.

I wasn’t sure at first what was really going to happen because of the severely vague synopsis. I wasn’t sure if there was a romance until it was right in my face. It was worth giving in to curiosity. My only worry is that because it lacks in the “paranormal romance” cliché situations, that it will be underrated by teens everywhere.

The characters are all very real and I feel like I know them like Puck said at one point, everybody is familiar on this island. I’m sure that is why Stiefvater invested time into small characters, to continue the feel of the place.

RATING:

I have to rate this at a complete 5: Excellent and well worth the time to read. It wasn’t heart smashingly romantic but its subtle tenderness was breathtaking. The story of these two acquaintances brings them together in such an enchanting, depressing, yet a very “Thisby” kind of way. I loved it.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I would let my preteen read this. I’m not sure if she would understand or appreciate it, but it’s clean: no nudity, minimal bad language and the violence is present yet not gory. The story is intense and worth the ride. If you’re a horse lover, this book speaks your language.

Other Books by Maggie Stiefvater:

Books of Faerie:
Lament
Ballad

The Wolves of Mercy Falls (Shiver Series):
Shiver
Linger
Forever

The Scorpio Races

Review: SUPERNATURALLY by Keirsten White

TITLE: Supernaturally
AUTHOR: Keirsten White
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
PARANORMAL ELEMENT: All fantasy creatures (Including some new ones.)
PUBLISHED: HarperTeen (July 26, 2011)
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library
RATING: 2: FAIR

SYNOPSIS:

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself. So much for normal.

REVIEW:

One book full of Evie was some dangerous fun. A second book with Evie was some ridiculous ruckus. This book really didn’t keep up the sassy, dangerous Evie that we grew to love in book 1. Granted teenagers make bad choices, but seriously, Evie slips into stupidity with the choices she makes in this one.

She gets her normalcy, which is cool (which should have been the title). She is tearing up inside about needing the excitement of IPCA back, which is understandable. But things got more annoying when she messes things up with Lend, which is ridiculous. Everything is suspect in this book, but at least it kept me guessing. It had that going for it.

***SPOILERS*** (Skip to Rating)

As for the concerns I had had about the plot from the first book. A few holes were filled in, that were gaping. The first hole was filled in by roping her back into IPCA. Interestingly though, things at the Center are changing so there is less “control” over the paranormals connected with IPCA.

The second hole was filled with the explanation of her getting lost by the faeries as a child. It’s kinda, weird, but I won’t fully spoil it by explaining it. Regardless, it was riduculous.

RATING:

I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as the first so I can’t rate it the same. I have to rate this book as a 2. FAIR: Not quite worth the time to read. The ending was satisfying but Evie just got more and more annoying, especially with her bad decision making and dramatics over nonsense..

RECOMMENDATIONS:

No gore, nothing dirty. This book is clean enough for early teens. Kinda creepy though. But it wasn’t really worth the time to read, so proceed at your own risk.

SERIES REVIEWS:

Book 1: Paranormalcy
Book 2: Supernaturally
Book 3: Eternity (to be release in 2012)

Review: PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White

TITLE: Paranormalcy
AUTHOR: Kiersten White
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
PARANORMAL ELEMENT: All paranormal & fantasy creatures (Including some new ones)
PUBLISHED: HarperTeen (August 31, 2010)
SOURCE: Borrowed from Library
RATING: 3: GOOD

SYNOPSIS:

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures. So much for normal.

REVIEW:

I opened this book, anticipating not being very interested but to my surprise the voice of the main character, Evie, was so unique, hip and sassy, I could not put this book down. I blazed through it. Even though she is totally immature, (something to which I can relate) she had a right to be. She didn’t want to grow up. She is a kick-butt character and kind of helpless at the same time. She just wants to be normal (whatever that is.)

Reth is the faerie ex-boyfriend and one of the antagonists, which I still don’t understand what she saw in him, but he had filled a void in her at one time. He was acting so weird; I still don’t know what he was trying to do. I’m hoping there will be more about him in the second book. He was almost three dimensional, but not really. He really could have been developed more. I thought he might be doing good but just acting like a stupid faery.

Then there is Lend. He is a terribly cute and awfully interesting character. I love how he asks one simple question about her that she has no idea about. She hadn’t even thought to ask questions about herself and her status at the Center. He throws her world into chaos. I get why she is attracted to him. I love that he is her connection to normalcy.

***SPOILER ALERT***

(Skip to “Rating” if you don’t want spoilers)

There were a few holes that put a bit of damper on this interesting and action packed story. First of which is kind of important, go with me here… When ACPA found Evie, they banded the nations together and shared her, forming ICPA. So if she was so important in this company. Why is she running around alone? If she is a Level Seven Paranormal, why is she NOT monitored constantly? She should have a microchip if she is that important. And (more importantly) why would they let her just run away in the end? This company was founded on her ability and with her Level Seven ability, they should be enslaving her just like the faeries, vamps and werewolves. Right?

The second big hole is: Did the feries (Reth, really) lose Evie somewhere when she was young? Are they really flighty that they would lose a child that would save their faery court? It just didn’t make sense.

RATING:

Being that this book is part of a series, my hope is that all of my questions about the plot will be answered in the second/third book. Sadly these holes play into the rating of this first book. I’m rating this book as a 3: GOOD. Evie is a super character with how she dresses and how she “bleeping” talks. She made the story. The ending was kind of weird and anti climactic. (That’s why I’m anticipating the next book being the antidote for my woes.) Regardless, a book should hold its own, all on its own.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

This is a pretty good book for preteens up thru high school age, although the main character is rather immature and acts younger. It is pretty clean. There is action but no gore. There is heart throbbing moments but nothing raunchy. I’d let my kids read it. If you're looking for a "dark" paranormal fantasy, this is not dark. At. All.

SERIES REVIEWS:

Book 1: Paranormalcy
Book 2: Supernaturally (Not yet reveiwed)
Book 3: Eternity (To be release in 2012)