The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Nine Years Earlier........ It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.
Maggie is a killer for these lines to start off books. Tell me that have not got your interest, go on, I dare you!
Sean is on the beach with his father, today is race day. The beach is never safe, today it is dangerous. This is where you learn of the capiall uisce. The water horses. Deadly (meat eaters, including their riders). The men of the village race them, on race day. Sean takes to them naturally. Not that he will ride. His father rides a red stallion. Then dies by the teeth of a grey. Sean watches from the cliff.
I don't think often of my father's strung out body through the reddening surf. Instead I remember him as he was before the race: afraid. I won't make the same mistake.

Here we meet Puck Connolly. Who's best friend is her horse Dove. This is were you get the opinion of the uisces' from just a normal family. They have no choice about them. They have to stay away. They have to be on the look out for stray ones, incase they are the next target. Puck's mum and dad are gone. Her and two brothers live in the house they always lived in. Struggle to pay to stay there. I love the dynamics between them, it's a family. A real argument, a real love.

Sean nine years later is a stable hand and race champion. Obviously. He loves both kinds of horses. The only trouble is, he works for the rich man of the village. The rich man who owns the red stallion, that was once his father's. He wants to buy it back. The man don't want to lose Sean knowing that's the only reason he stays.

Puck is basically told that her brother haven't been paying the rent. She gets time off the rich man, if she enters the races and wins, she will win the prize. Of course she will. She wants to save her house. And this my friend is how the book really starts. Puck Connolly entering the races with her normal horse. Sean finds her brave I think and starts to teach her. Helps her with where to ride and so on. It's all rather brilliant! I love it! I courses uproar, the men think she should not ride. Not only is she a girl but a girl with an ordinary horse. Unspeakable. There are no rules. She rides. She rides and kicks ass! Puck and Sean are my favourite duo that I have read about.

This whole book has a magical feeling to it. You can feel the wind whipping your hair across your face. You can imagine the sea breeze. The horror when someone dies from the uisce. It felt like I was stood on a small island. These horses are so amazingly written about, they could be real. Watch how close you get to the sea ;)

Maggie wins every time with me! Every single time.... I love every novel this one writes although I do have my favourites. Keep em coming I say!!
This is a young adult novel but I would say adults go and read it. Do not let age put you off. She really brings something unique to this. Plus it's only the main characters that are young and even then Sean is 19. There are plenty of village folks that are older.
READ IT, READ IT and oh yeah READ IT!!!