by Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic: New York, 2011
Publishing date 10/18/2011
On the small isle of Thisby, the arrival of autumn hearlds the start of training for Scorpio Races, a 5-mile slog down cliff-bound beach on the back of barely tamed man-eating horses. Adapted from the Gaelic and Celtic legends of the kelpie, the blood thirsty water horses are known of as the capall uisce, drawn to shore every year by the November tides. Yearly, men die in the races, either trampled or mauled by the monstrous animals they race. Yet the races are the economic and cultural backbone of Thisby, a mid-century fictional island that reminds of a small Irish island. Four-time race winner and pseudo-horse whisperer Sean Kendrick saw his father die in the race as a child, yet is drawn to the powerful and dangerous capail uisce. He longs of earning enough to purchase the capall uisce on which he has successfully raced, Corr, from his horse dealer employer. This year, though, the tides have turned. Kate “Puck” Connelly, orphaned by the capall uisce, will be the first woman to enter the race, audacious enough to race on a regular horse. Puck is racing both to save her home from the same horse dealer, and to stall her older brother from migrating to the mainland. Stoic and quiet Sean is the only man on the island who gives her a chance, even helping her train. Puck and Sean both have everything to lose and everything to gain, including a friendship that has the potential to blossom into more. Will they make it through training? Will Puck be allowed to race? Will they survive the race? Who will win? Who will lose everything? This book is strongly recommended to girls aged 12-15, and may hold appeal for fans of Stiefvater’s other series.
