ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell 144 pp. Penguin Group. £8.99. (Ages 13 and up) ISBN 9780141182704 Rating: ? Stars This book is set in a future when animals are much cleverer than now. And because of their cleverness, the pigs started a revolution against the humans. Pigs could speak fluently in English unlike the other animals, and that gave them the power to be leaders. But, the story that follows only happened a few years after that... Their first leader, Old Major, was kind and fair who knew animals should be equal. But when Napoleon became the leader it was very unpleasant. He made a rule that allowed the pigs to have better food and that forced all of the other animals to work crazily hard every day and night. That wasn’t enough, Napoleon wanted more power. He decided to kill his brother, Snowball, so that he would be the only leader. Snowball was admired because he came up with a clever idea to build windmill. Sn...
Cappall Uisce
Water Horse
Water Horse
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.
Sean, the returning champion of the Scorpio Races, and his cappall uisce, Corr, return to the beach to train with new racers. Including Puck, and her horse, Dove. Puck intends to race Dove, a horse not much bigger than a pony, against several deadly cappall uisce. They emerge from the sea onto the island of Thisby, hungry for flesh each Autumn. They ravage sheep, dogs, anything they can find, and they return to the sea unless caught to be trained to race. Riders die before the race even begins, and people come from afar to bet on and see this race on the beach of Thisby.
Puck, who's real name is Kate, is one of our main characters. She splits narration with Sean. The two meet and share an instant dislike for each other. Sean doesn't want to see a girl and her horse on the dangerous beach. And Puck doesn't care for this bossy know-it-all. But as time goes by, things change.
Puck is racing to save her family's home - it's just her and her two brothers - and to keep the older one from leaving for the mainland. Sean is racing for the right to buy Corr, his red cappall uisce. But both can't win the races.
I loved this book so much. I almost felt like I was there on Thisby. My favorite part was the festival where the riders announced their decision to race. There were so many incredible aspects to that scene that I loved, but I'll leave those for when you read it. I'm also very much into faery lore. The cappall uisce, which translates to water horse, is a kelpie. Don't get on one's back in the water, or he'll drown you.
I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Especially if you like faery. The Scorpio Races ranks in at number two of my favorite Maggie books, topped only by Ballad.
Maggie Stiefvater is doing a book signing in two days time. I plan to go and get a copy signed for myself. I also plan to get a copy for one of you! (If I don't make it to the signing, I will give away an unsigned copy.)
1. Must follow my blog
2. Must be 13 or older.
3. Open International (US cover).
4. Fill out this form.
Good luck! Giveaway ends 10/30, midnight EST. Winner announced on Halloween.
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