Ever since the Titans first appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan’s world has revolved around the mechanical horses. She and her best friend have spent countless hours watching them and their jockeys practice on the track. It’s not just the thrill of the race. It’s the engineering of the horses and the way they’re programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she’ll ever touch.
She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines to ride, and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid’s who wager on them.
But when Astrid’s offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year’s derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about.
After a long, long, long wait, I finally managed to read Victoria Scott's Titans! It was definitely an exciting and interesting read, but it wasn't all that I expected and hoped for, but still good. Really good. In fact, the more I think about it, my expectations were just little things that I wanted to see happen that I have come use to seeing happen in YA books these days, that it didn't happen was almost a breath of fresh air.
The setting is a somewhat futuristic one in which creatures called Titans, that are basically robot horses race in complex tracks that are incredibly dangerous. When young Astrid's family is on the brink of losing their house, she is determined to do whatever she can to help save it and her family. Even if it means she must work with a grouchy, old neighbor known as Rags. He just happens to have an available Titan, one of the very first ones and it's just what Astrid needs to compete in the upcoming race. If she places well enough in this one she can hopefully find a sponsor for the future races and keep moving up until she can hopefully win the final race and the nice payout that will save her family's home, her best friend's home and help the new friends she's acquired along the way.
This book was definitely exciting in a sense as Astrid is the underdog in the race since her Titan isn't the newest or preferred model, but since it is one of the first ones, she has an edge to her and hopefully it's just what she needs to pull through and win this thing.
At its heart, I definitely say this book is about family. As Astrid is doing all this for her family, to save their home and prevent them from having to move again and this time things are even dicier and money even more tight since her father is without a job. In the in-between moments, Astrid spends moments with her family and we see how they struggle and not everyone is agreeable to her racing due to the dangers of the track.
What surprised me about this one was the lack of romance! I mean, I guess these days I just expect there to be some sort of romance going on for the main character. While we get teases of one possibly happen, it was simply just that, teases. The end result was something even more interesting but I won't go further on that part.
Astrid's friendship with her best friend, Magnolia was also endearing. Here are two best friends who have no animosity between them. Magnolia is totally game in helping Astrid with whatever she can to win the race. They are close to one another and I like that they never let anything petty get between them and cause strife, not money, boys, fame, or just anything!
I also really enjoyed Astrid's Titan, Padlock! Though he was a mechanical horse it was easy to forget. He had such a personality and a life of his own. It's weird to say that, but it's kind of true. He was easy going in some sense, but still a fierce horse in the heart of the race. While I never had the fascination with horses like most little girls, I still liked them well enough, even I was rendered an emotional heap with the the bond Astrid formed with Padlock. I kept reminding myself that he was still just a machine, but who I am kidding...he was a real horse too!
While it wasn't the read I was anticipating it to be, Titans was still an interesting one! It was different in that it didn't meet what expectations I had or theories I devised in how things would turn out! Just another reason why Victoria Scott is one of my favorite authors, she defies all the odds and rules of typical expectations for YA books and I cannot wait to read more form her in the future!
Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars
You made me realize I never wrote a review for this book. I really enjoyed it. I have a signed poster too!
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