The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater (2 owls)

Title: THE SCORPIO RACES
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Pages: 408
Publisher: Scholastic
Format: Hardcover

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.

Review:

This sums up THE SCORPIO RACES.



It's like reading a really interesting book lliikkee tthhiiss. It just ddooeessnn'tt wwoorrkk wweellll.

I almost feel bad giving THE SCORPIO RACES two stars, because the writing is Gorgeous with a capital G. I really do. I feel like any book with beautiful writing deserves at least three stars. The writing is the only thing saving this dreadful thing from the ocean-floor depth of one star.

You see, Stiefvater likes to describe things. And, yeah, at first, because her writing is so pretty, it seems like it would be really interesting to read. But, sadly, that's not the case, because after the first few thousand instances when the over-describing occurs, you get bored, and when you're bored, it's like the writing becomes transparent, and you can see everything that's lurking underneath: shoddily constructed characters, little to no plot, and black Adobe Garamond font. Underneath the gorgeous writing is a mess, and that's all THE SCORPIO RACES is. A mess.

Stiefvater overdescribes, but she also cuts her chapters off after each instance, so you're left wondering what the heck happened while you're immersed once again in top-notch writing with no plot. THE SCORPIO races is like one of those roller coasters that goes round and round while it goes up and down, so your stomach is going up and down and all around, but it's unpleasant. Then you throw up all over everything.

THE SCORPIO RACES is another overhyped book that's come from the bowels of YA. Except this time, it's really messy.

Two Owls