Common Sense Media Review
By Darienne Stewart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bloodthirsty horses star in thrilling coming-of-age tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Based on 18 kid reviews
Kids say the book offers rich characterization, captivating world-building, and themes that resonate with readers, particularly the strong character of Puck as a role model for perseverance and determination. While some critiques highlight its slow pacing and graphic violence, many enjoy the unique plot centered around a thrilling race with deadly horses, emphasizing its appeal to horse lovers and those interested in a compelling story.
- characterization
- strong female
- graphic violence
- unique plot
- horse lovers
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
As November nears, the fierce water horses surge out of the sea onto the beach at Thisby. Tourists flock to the island as the locals try to capture and train the dangerous capaill uisce (water horses) for the Scorpio Races. Four-time champion Sean Kendrick lives to ride his stallion and knows well how deadly the races are, but this year he has even more than his life at stake. Puck Connolly lost her parents to the capaill uisce a year earlier. Afraid of losing her older brother to the mainland and her family home to the lender, she signs up to race on her own mare. As the first woman ever to enter, she's met with hostility -- until she forges an unlikely friendship with her rival, Sean.
Is It Any Good?
Maggie Stiefvater serves up a terrific mix of action, magic, and romance that defies neat categorization into any one genre. It's a fantasy horse story for teens who hate both fantasies and horse stories: The pulsing danger of the capaill uisce (water horses) is seductive. The narration shifts between Puck and Sean, both strong and appealing voices. The two perspectives together paint a vivid portrait of Thisby and the solid supporting cast. Stiefvater's Thisby is the kind of place readers want to get lost in: She drops so many intriguing hints into the lives of the secondary characters, you wish you could follow them a bit more too. The American Library Association named Scorpio Races a 2012 Michael L. Printz Honor Book for excellence in literature for young adults.
The story is a thrill ride, so much so that the romance sneaks in quietly. Sean and Puck, both headstrong and fierce in their own distinct ways, are classic heroes who'll resonate with independent-minded teens.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence throughout the book. Is it used effectively, or is it over the top? How would the story be affected if the author scaled back the description of the violence? Do you find the violence incongruous with the romantic elements, or do they work together?
How would you classify this novel? Is it a fantasy? A romance? A thriller? An adventure tale?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : October 18, 2011
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 13 - 18
- Number of pages : 416
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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