ARC Review: Loss

Loss
Jackie Morse Kessler
Young Adult/Fantasy
Riders of the Apocalypse/Book 3
Harcourt Graphia/March 20, 2012

Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on, from the school bullies to the teachers. But things change drastically when Death tells Billy he must stand in as Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse. Now armed with a Bow that allows him to strike with disease from a distance, Billy lashes out at his tormentors...and accidentally causes an outbreak of meningitis. Horrified by his actions, Billy begs Death to take back the Bow. For that to happen, says Death, Billy must track down the real White Rider—who is lost in his memories.

In his search, Billy travels through White Rider’s life: from ancient Phrygia, where the man called King Mita agrees to wear the White Rider’s Crown, to Sherwood Forest, where Pestilence figures out how to cheat Death; from the docks of Alexandria, where cartons of infested grain are being packed onto a ship that will carry the plague, to the Children’s Crusade in France—all the way to what may be the end of the world. When Billy finally finds the White Rider, the teen convinces the man to return to the real world.

But now the insane White Rider plans to unleash something awful on humanity—something that could make the Black Death look like a summer cold. Billy has a choice: he can live his life and pretend he doesn’t know what’s coming, or he can challenge the White Rider for his Crown. Does one bullied teenager have the strength to stand his ground—and the courage to save the world.

Bullying is a problem many of us can relate to whether we were the bullied, the bullier or were witnessed to it. I've experienced it as well as seen it not only in my youth but in the workplace. As a kid I only had to put up with it for one school year and unlike Billy Ballard, it wasn't an everyday thing. As I read Billy's story I continued to be shocked at what happened to him on a daily basis. But I know enough from experience that bullies tend to be smart and do their bullying away from the eyes of adults, or at least the adults who might stop them.

Billy Ballard's home life is just as stressful as his school life, but in a different way. Both have the potential for physical violence, one from a school bully, the other from a family member. But the motivation is very different for each. Kessler explores those differences, showing how each affects Billy in different ways. We see Billy change when the right catalyst is employed.

Billy had a serious choice to make which he doesn't take lightly - to become the White Rider, Pestilence. He's not a believer at first, who would be? But Death can be very convincing, even in the guise of dead rocker Kurt Cobain. As Billy learns more about the four riders, their abilities and their responsibilities, he also learns how additive power can be. This is a teen who feels he has no power in his life. He's at the mercy of bullies at school and his overwhelming responsibilities at home. Kessler shows how power can not only seduce, it can corrupt.

As Billy attempts to find the real Pestilence, he sees how Pestilence came to be the White Rider. It's a history lesson that dragged on far too long. I would have rather the story focused more on the bullying and Billy's grandfather's Alzheimer's disease. I thought the bullying might show up within the Four riders and how they treated Billy but it didn't really materialize that way. We do see the other Riders interact with Billy but the impact isn't as strong. It's mainly Billy and Death in the spotlight with Death being his usual cryptic self.

Loss delivers some strong messages about bullying and Alzheimer's disease but they almost get lost among the flashbacks. There are important messages for teens as well as adults within the story which makes this a worthwhile read.

Rating: B-

Riders of the Apocalypse

Hunger
Rage
Loss

Review: Hunger

Hunger
Jackie Morse Kessler
Young Adult/Fantasy
Riders of the Apocalypse/Book 1
Harcourt Graphia/October 18, 2010

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

Intense at times, Hunger looks at the desperate lengths some will go to gain control of at least one piece of their lives. Lisa is determined to control her weight by controlling what she eats and how much she exercises. She is vigilant in knowing every calorie of every piece of food that passes her lips. Her knowledge of not only the number of calories but how much exercise will be needed to burn those calories is astounding. So when she is chosen as Famine, it is beyond her reality. But Death convinces her that yes, she really is Famine, complete with a horse.

Lisa may look like a typical teenager but she is beginning to fall under the pressure of trying to be thin. It's becoming obvious that she has a problem, at least obvious to her friends. Her parents are less than involved in Lisa's life, partly because of their focus on their own obsessions. They also give the impression that they are willing to take the easy way out and take Lisa's at her word that she is fine. The only one Lisa feels comfortable around is her friend Tammy, who also has an eating disorder.

Lisa's responsibilities as Famine are quite simple - cause chaos by taking food away. This is to be done on a large scale. Lisa begins to love the power she can wield but in the end, hates the results. As if being Famine isn't stressful enough, Lisa still has her home life to contend with. She's not talking to her best friend. Her boyfriend is worried about her and there's her parents seeming lack of interest. Lisa's insights are thoughtful and terribly sad. This is clearly a teen in trouble who doesn't know where to turn. Her thoughts are dark at times but she still maintains a glimmer of hope.

Lisa's job as Famine brings her into contact with Death, War and Pestilence. She also meets her horse who takes her all over the world to bring hunger and chaos. Lisa not only names her horse but grows to feel affection for the beast. Theirs is an odd relationship, little girls who want a pony never imagined a horse such as Lisa's. Of the three other Riders, it's Death that receives the most page time and makes the biggest impression. He's a fan of Nirvana and even takes the likeness of Kurt Cobain. He projects a feeling of ancient power while still giving off an almost relaxed attitude.

Lisa learns much about hunger and control as she ventures out on her travels as Famine. She also learns that like her life, everything is not as it seems and she has more control than she thinks. Hunger does have dark, intense moments that will no doubt leave an impression on even the most jaded of reader. It did have some lighter moments but they were few which is not surprising given the subject. I would have liked to know more about Lisa and her relationship with her parents and her best friend. It did feel like things happened too quickly and were resolved with that same quickness.

Rating: B

Riders of the Apocalyse

Hunger
Rage
Loss (March 20, 2012)
Breath (2013)

*Ms. Kessler is donating a portion of the proceeds of Hunger to The National Eating Disorders Association. If you think someone you know has an eating disorder, please help them seek help. NEDA is a good place to start.