Synopses & Reviews
Come on, Lisabeth, Death said, not unkindly. It's time to do your job.
The words didn't make any sense. My job? Lisa said as Death helped her to her feet. She was a seventeen-year-old high school junior in the suburbs; she didn't have a job.
Thou art Famine, yo, Death said. Time to make with the starvation.
Lisabeth Lewis is no stranger to starvation. Her life revolves around counting calories, constant exercise, denying herself even the strongest cravings. Lisa is in a constant battle with hunger for control over her body. When, in a moment of desperation, she almost gives up that control completely, she is visited by a wisecracking messenger who turns out to be Death. He offers Lisa a rare opportunity: to become one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse--Famine. As Famine, Lisa travels the world on her black steed, visiting parts of the world where hunger is a painful part of everyday life. She's horrified to see her own power destroy crops and turn food to dust. But when she finds a way to harness her power as Famine and use it for nourishment rather than deprivation, Lisa finally gains the courage to face her own problem. 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.
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
Review
"Those with strong stomachs for the gross and creepy may be the audience for this Kafkaesque book."--School Library Journal "Impressively unappetizing and absolutely unique."--Booklist "Dark and unsettling, Thompson's adventure presents a break from the same-old-same-old by creating something utterly new and weird . . . this is a tale to jolt readers out of their complacency, where characters change in unfamiliar ways with no guarantee of a happy ending."--Publishers Weekly
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.
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
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 bladea 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.
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. 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
In the fourth and final volume of the Riders of Apocalypse series, high school senior Xander Atwood has a secret. Death, the Pale Rider, has lost his way. What happens when the two meet will change the fate of the world.
Synopsis
Contrary to popular belief, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse arent just harbingers of doom—they actually keep life in balance. But what happens when their leader and creator, Death, becomes suicidal? Before the first living thing drew its first gasping breath, he was there. He has watched humanity for millennia. And he has finally decided that humanity is not worth the price he has paid time and again. When Death himself gives up on life, a teenager named Xander Atwood is the world's only hope. But Xander bears a secret, one that may bring about the end of everything. This heart-pounding final installment of the Riders of the Apocalypse series looks at the value of life, the strength of love, and how a small voice can change everything . . . forever.
Synopsis
Kafka's Metamorphosis meets Gregor the Overlander in this supernatural literary drama wherein Evan is slowly turning into a wuftoom, large wormlike creatures who can speak and have their own civilization underground. In fact, many creatures we would think of as insects have dark civilizations below, and as Evan discovers more of their struggles, wars, and desires, he realizes he must give up everything he once held dear.
Synopsis
"Wildly imaginative . . . something utterly new and weird."—Publishers Weekly Everyone thinks Evan is sick. But Evan knows he is actually transforming. His metamorphosis has him confined to his bed, terrified, and alone—except for visits from the Wuftoom, a wormlike creature that tells Evan he is becoming one of them. Clinging to his humanity and desperate to help his overworked single mother, Evan makes a bargain with the Vitflies, the enemies of the Wuftoom. But when the bargain becomes blackmail and the Vitflies prepare for war, whom can Evan trust? Is saving his humanity worth destroying an entire species, and the only family he has left?
About the Author
"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
Praise for Hunger:
"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