The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary: "Some race to win. Others race to survive.

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 choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen."

I was not a big fan of Stiefvater’s Shiver trilogy so I was hesitant to read this book, however I am so glad that I finally decided to read it! This book introduces a majestic creature called a Water Horse, Water Horses come from the sea and enjoy eating meat. This book is like National Velvet (the book by Enid Bagnold) on steroids. The stakes are higher, death is a very real possibility, and Puck has no chance of winning. This horse race is unlike any race you have ever heard about, and it will make your heart race as you read it. Puck, the main character, is one of my favorite heroines. She knows she doesn’t have what it takes to win this race, but she doesn’t care she knows what she wants and she is going to do what it takes to get it. There is also some romance in this book, it is very mild but still mixes perfectly with everything else to bring an amazing story to life. Stiefvater really has outdone herself, and I wish that they would turn this book into a movie!

Rating 9 out of 10. To much buildup to the race, found myself wanting to skip some sections to get to the end faster, but other than that I seriously recommend this book to all readers within the age group below.

Content rating: 3( 16-18). There is a lot of violence in this book, the seahorses eat meat, and Stiefvater is not shy about letting the readers know that.