The Scorpio Races

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rarely do I dish out a 5 star rating (only my favorites), but I couldn’t help it. I really enjoyed this book. From the reviews I’ve read, it appears people are of two camps on Stiefvater’s latest novel: they either love it or they think it’s too slow/confusing. While I can understand the second group, I believe that’s what makes this book stand out from the slog (slush + bog) of other young adult novels.

True, the island of Thisbe seemed older and slower. For me, this added to the charm of the book, giving it a pre WWI feel. This was a time when romances lasted longer than two days and teenagers were considered young–adults. Puck and Sean face issues many adults would cringe from, and they do it without throwing melodramatic temper-tantrums or giving into unnecessary drama (should I pick this boy or that one?–nope, no drama).

The setting is also vague at times, but again, this adds to the charm. Stiefvater allows us, the readers, to use our imaginations and create a world truly unique to each person.

If you’re looking for a fast, drama-filled, stereo-typical “teen” book, The Scorpio Races is not for you. If, however, you are ready to let your imagination run free, let the world around you slow down, so you can follow a pair of extraordinary people, you’ll love this book.