Synopses & Reviews
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 Riders life: from ancient Phrygia, where the man called King Mita agrees to wear the White Riders 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 Childrens 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 doesnt know whats 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?
Review
"Kessler blends fantasy, history, humor, and hard reality into a gripping tale."--
School Library Journal "Kessler's third book in the Riders of the Apocalypse series stays true to the initial premise of exposing a teen affliction--this time bullying--by providing an allegorical analysis of its effects and offering hope to its sufferers."--Booklist
"Kessler again succeeds in telling a great story with difficult topics. . . readers will easily be pulled into this fascinating world. . . . Loss is the best in the series so far."--Romantic Times "Jackie Morse Kessler has a keen eye for capturing the awkward uncertainty of adolescence, which she wraps quite deliciously in a coating of mystery, fright, and suspense. Loss is a treat for readers, a one-of-a-kind, twisty turny carnival ride through Billy Ballard's struggles and triumphs. I loved this book."—Andrew Smith, author of The Marbury Lens "I lost sleep to finish this, and I'm not sorry at all. Jackie Morse Kessler's prose illuminates an ancient, disintegrating king as poignantly and effortlessly as it does a bullied teen; it's easy to see ourselves reflected in Mita's grief and Billy's desperation. LOSS is whip-smart and elegant, a truly worthy companion to HUNGER and RAGE."—Saundra Mitchell, author of The Vespertine "Gritty and raw with powerful truths. An addictive read."--Sophie Jordan New York Times bestselling author of Firelight
Praise for Hunger: "The storytelling is both realistic and compassionate....the writing is never preachy, and it allows an interesting exploration of both intensely personal food issues and global ones."—School Library Journal, starred review
"[The author's] ear for dialogue, fluid prose and dark humor elevate this brief novel above other 'issue books.'"—Kirkus Reviews "Powerful, fast-paced, hilarious, heart-wrenching, vivid, sad and most of all real, Hunger is a breathtaking portrayal of a difficult topic that also deftly ties in with the interesting and scary apocalypse. Though short, this story will grab the reader and never let go." —Romantic Times Magazine "Kessler offers a refreshingly new approach to the YA eating-disorder genre that reinforces the difficulty of conquering these diseases."—Booklist "Jackie Morse Kessler does a fine job of taking a critical issue that has been explored in writing no small number of times, and putting a new and thought provoking spin on it. It was sheer genius to combine the eating disorder anorexia with the ultimate entity signifying lack of food, nourishment and all that that entails: famine."—New York Journal of Books "Hunger is not just a good book. It is a great book. It is funny and sad, brilliant and tragic, and most of all, it speaks truth. . . . I adore it."—Rachel Caine, author of The Morganville Vampires "A fantastic and gripping read that never shies from its difficult subject matter, Kessler illuminates, through the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a very real problem facing teens today. . . . This book is a knockout."—A.S. King, author of The Dust of 100 Dogs
Praise for Rage:
"The elegant mix of dark humor, brilliantly developed characters, and just enough moral threads to lead readers to make their own conclusions is impressive."—Bulletin
"Rage is raw and real, a truly dark, honest look at self-harm and the teenage psyche. Kessler left me breathless."—Heather Brewer, author of the New York Times bestselling series, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod
"Skillfully rendered...sympathetically narrated...dark humor and realistic situations." —Kirkus Reviews
"Like Hunger before it, Rage tackles a vital teen issue with delicacy and intelligence without preaching. Raw, visceral, pulling no punches, this story strikes home like a razor blade. Its unforgettable, heart wrenching, and enlightening."—Realms of Fantasy
Review
A Junior Library Guild Selection An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers "The elegant mix of dark humor, brilliantly developed characters (the Four Horsemen, as in the earlier novel, are particularly memorable), and just enough moral threads to lead readers to make their own conclusions is impressive, as is the trim size of the novel, which may make it particularly appealing to reluctant readers."--
Bulletin "RAGE is raw and real, a truly dark, honest look at self-harm and the teenage psyche. Kessler left me breathless."—Heather Brewer, author of the New York Times bestselling series, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod
"Skillfully rendered...sympathetically narrated...dark humor and realistic situations." --Kirkus Reviews
"Like Hunger before it, Rage tackles a vital teen issue with delicacy and intelligence without preaching. Raw, visceral, pulling no punches, this story strikes home like a razor blade. Its unforgettable, heart wrenching, and enlightening."--Realms of Fantasy
"This dark and gritty novel will capture readers with its haunting scenes and engaging characters . . . Readers of Hunger will enjoy seeing more depth to Deaths character and just might wish they had been chosen as the red horseman and Deaths handmaiden themselves."—VOYA
Review
An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers "The storytelling is both realistic and compassionate....the writing is never preachy, and it allows an interesting exploration of both intensely personal food issues and global ones."—
School Library Journal, starred review"[The author's] ear for dialogue, fluid prose and dark humor elevate this brief novel above other 'issue books.'"—Kirkus Reviews "Powerful, fast-paced, hilarious, heart-wrenching, vivid, sad and most of all real, Hunger is a breathtaking portrayal of a difficult topic that also deftly ties in with the interesting and scary apocalypse. Though short, this story will grab the reader and never let go." —Romantic Times Magazine "Kessler offers a refreshingly new approach to the YA eating-disorder genre that reinforces the difficulty of conquering these diseases."—Booklist "Jackie Morse Kessler does a fine job of taking a critical issue that has been explored in writing no small number of times, and putting a new and thought provoking spin on it. It was sheer genius to combine the eating disorder anorexia with the ultimate entity signifying lack of food, nourishment and all that that entails: famine."—New York Journal of Books"Fast-paced, witty, and heart-breaking! Jackie Morse Kessler is one of the most talented authors I know."—Richelle Mead, author of Vampire Academy
"Hunger is not just a good book. It is a great book. It is funny and sad, brilliant and tragic, and most of all, it speaks truth. Ive always admired Jackie Kesslers writing. Now I adore it."—Rachel Caine, author of The Morganville Vampires
"Jackie Morse Kessler hits it out of the park with Hunger. Although this is a book with anorexia at its heart, there are no hidden lectures or story-slowing asides. Instead, Kessler deftly weaves the heroine Lisas struggle with food into a beautifully realized mythology, complete with a wisecracking and sexy Death and a new spin on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. An absolute must-read!"—Julie Kenner, author of Good Ghouls Do
"A fantastic and gripping read that never shies from its difficult subject matter, Kessler illuminates, through the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a very real problem facing teens today. While Lisabeth Lewis explores her self-induced hunger and attempts to battle the Thin voice, her incarnation as Famine explores the horrors and causes of world hunger. The contrast slots Hunger into its own category of awesome. This book is a knockout."—A.S. King, author of The Dust of 100 Dogs
Review
PRAISE FOR THE RIDERS OF THE APOCALYPSE SERIES Praise for Hunger: An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers * "Realistic and compassionate. . . . the writing is never preachy, and it allows an interesting exploration of both intensely personal food issues and global ones."
—SLJ, starred review "Jackie Morse Kessler does a fine job of taking a critical issue that has been explored in writing no small number of times, and putting a new and thought provoking spin on it. . . . Sheer genius."
—New York Journal of Books "Powerful, fast-paced, hilarious, heart-wrenching. . . . This story will grab the reader and never let go."
—Romantic Times Magazine "Hunger is not just a good book. It is a great book. It is funny and sad, brilliant and tragic, and most of all, it speaks truth. . . . I adore it."
—Rachel Caine, author of The Morganville Vampires "A fantastic and gripping read that never shies from its difficult subject matter. . . . This book is a knockout."
—A.S. King, author of Everybody See the Ants
Praise for Rage:
A Junior Library Guild Selection An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers "Rage is raw and real, a truly dark, honest look at self-harm and the teenage psyche. Kessler left me breathless."
—Heather Brewer, author of the New York Times bestselling series, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod "The elegant mix of dark humor, brilliantly developed characters, and just enough moral threads to lead readers to make their own conclusions is impressive."
—Bulletin "Raw, visceral, pulling no punches, this story strikes home like a razor blade. Its unforgettable, heart wrenching, and enlightening."
—Realms of Fantasy Praise for Loss: "Kessler blends fantasy, history, humor, and hard reality into a gripping tale."
—SLJ "Jackie Morse Kessler has a keen eye for capturing the awkward uncertainty of adolescence, which she wraps quite deliciously in a coating of mystery, fright, and suspense. Loss is a treat for readers, a one-of-a-kind, twisty turny carnival ride. . . . I loved this book."
—Andrew Smith, author of The Marbury Lens "Whip-smart and elegant."
—Saundra Mitchell, author of The Vespertine "Gritty and raw with powerful truths. An addictive read."
—Sophie Jordan New York Times bestselling author of Firelight
Praise for Breath: A Junior Library Guild Selection "A riveting read."
—Kirkus Reviews "The series is a strong and unique attempt to encourage troubled teens to consider their options and accept the help they need, while exposing all readers to the pain their friends may be experiencing."
—Booklist
Synopsis
The latest in the Riders of the Apocalypse series, Loss is about a bullied teenager who's tricked into becoming Pestilence, a Rider of the Apocalypse, and finds himself with the power to infect people with diseases. After causing an outbreak, he goes on an adventure through time and memory to try and track down the White Rider and escape his fate.
Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on, from the school bullies to the teachers. Things change drastically when Billy learns that years ago, hed been tricked by Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse. Now its Billys turn to wield Pestilences Bow and spread sickness through the world. He uses his new power to lash out at his tormentors . . . and accidentally causes an outbreak of disease. Horrified by his actions, he wants nothing more than to be rid of the Bow. For that to happen, Billy must track down the previous White Rider, who is hiding in a place where even Death cannot go. Billys search takes him across the centuries: from ancient Phrygia, where a man called King Mita agrees to wear the White Riders Crown; to a mighty forest, where Pestilence plans to cheat Death; from the docks of Alexandria, where plague is packed into cartons of grain; to the Childrens Crusade in France, where the White Rider learns a truth that will break him. By the time Billy finds the man who had tricked him so long ago, the White Rider is completely insane—and is poised to unleash a plague that would make the Black Death look like a summer cold. And only Billy can stop him.
Does one bullied teenager have the strength to stand his ground—and the courage to save the world?
Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on. 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, and stop him from
unleashing something awful on humanity—something that could make the Black
Plague look like a summer cold. Does one bullied teenager have the strength to stand
his ground—and the courage to save the world?
Synopsis
Jackie Morse Kesslers Riders of the Apocalypse series follows teens who are transformed into the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In the second book of the series,
Rage, a teenage cutter becomes War, one of the Riders of the Apocalypse. Missy didnt mean to cut so deep. But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort? Sure, most people dont find comfort in the touch of a razor blade, but Missy always was . . . different. Thats why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War. Now Missy wields a new kind of blade—a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path. But its with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control. A unique approach to the topic of self-mutilation,
Rage is the story of a young woman who discovers her own power and refuses to be defeated by the world.
Rage includes a teaser chapter of the next book in the Riders of the Apocalypse series,
Loss.
Synopsis
"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: shes 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 fight her own inner demons? A wildly original approach to the issue of eating disorders, Hunger is about the struggle to find balance in a world of extremes, and uses fantastic tropes to explore a difficult topic that touches the lives of many teens.