The Scorpio Races / Maggie Stiefvater / 409 pgs.

"Nineteen-year-old returning champion Sean Kendrick competes against Puck Connolly, the first girl ever to ride in the annual Scorpio Races, both trying to keep hold of their dangerous water horses long enough to make it to the finish line."

A great book for teens as it has a strong female character, discusses topics such as life & death, struggle and survival, poverty / wealth and personal happiness.  This is a also a great book for horse-lovers since the care and training of the horses as well as the exciting annual race is central to the story.   There is a romance in the story but it is very chaste the fighting against the Water Horses can get a tad intense and gory.