Eh, okay, no deep thoughts on this one, sorries.
The thing is, the main point is bullying, and I have never been bullied or a bully, and, having gone to middle and high school as part of that schools first ever class, there wasn’t really a large population of people, so I didn’t observe much bullying, either.
There’s also a point with Alzheimer’s disease which I have even less experience with than bullying.
Also, the way this book happened just seemed weird to me. okay, yes, the White Rider is CRAZY. Kinda guessed that from Lisa’s and Missy’s interactions with him. But what was the point of him tricking five-year-old Billy to be the future Pestilence? More to the point, why? it seems that the former White Rider/Conqueror, in all his craziness randomly picked a five-year-old boy in a playground to trick into becoming future Pestilence. Like, here was no reason there. it confused me.
Oh, and the ending is TOTALLY guessable.
So, now, I’ll just give you my favorite quote from this book and move on:

He thought he heard Death’s bemused voice: The nature of life is to be always on the brink of death.
No, that was just philosophical bullshit. The nature of life was to live , period. He was only fifteen, but even he knew that.

Yep. That there is the best quote in the entire book, if you’re asking me.
Oh, I also feel the need to warn people who hate even the mention of the blood-sucking fiends that have taken over YA literature: the V-word is mentioned in chapter 6, but it’s not important.
Moving on now.
Can’t wait for Breath.
( )

Jackie: this series is not your confessional. It is not your soapbox or your diary. It is a book, meant to inform and entertain. You introduced a great concept with "Hunger", but gave up decent exploration of the topic for superficial YA thrills. Then you screwed up with "Rage". You screwed up with this one. And (now that I have "time-sink fallacy" to finish the series) I know you'll screw the pooch with the last. I know it.

Her author's notes say the book went through twenty-two drafts before it was finished. Well, gee, I wonder why. Maybe because you put in so much junk that had nothing to do with the central concept? Pestilence. One of the four horsemen. Responsible for plague, sickness, poisons, germs. Dominion over disease. Do you want to tell me what that has to do with school bullies and Robin Hood? (At least the other books had a tangential theme: Famine to eating disorders, War to self-harm.) It's like Kessler is writing some other story, other than the one presented to her.

(And maybe you shouldn't be advertising your failures in your own book. How many times do movies with multiple directors, multiple drafts, multiple production companies, become lauded bestsellers? They have a term for that: development hell.)

The story is all over the place and none of it has to do with the protagonist. There are more words dedicated to the backstory of the deuteragonist than the main one. And nothing is resolved in the end -- he's still got bullies. He's going to get beat up the next day.

This series has lost such potential. I'm frustrated because there are some great themes she could be working with. But what does pestilence have to do with self-esteem? What do unrequited school crushes have to do with being assigned as a harbinger of the end-times? You've got a character who's got the power to make anyone sick. It's a hero's journey. A call to adventure. And what does the author do? Watch some guy in a coma be Robin Hood and King Midas.

It's like "The Dark Knight Rises". Don't shove the wrong story into the wrong milieu. ( )

See my review of this book, and many more, at Tales from the Great East Road.

Life for fifteen year old Billy Ballard is not easy. He's the kid who everyone picks on, the one who the teachers either overlook or "make an example" of. He doesn't even get a break at home, living with his single mother who's always working to make ends meet, and his Alzheimer’s suffering grandfather, who can sometimes be worse than the school bullies. If it wasn't for his friend, Marianne, he'd probably go mad - though never working up the courage to ask her out might drive him to madness anyway.

Then Death visits Billy. He wants Billy to stand in as Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as the original White Rider has gone missing. Billy agrees, thinking this could be his chance to get back at his tormentors, and takes the Bow which allows him to strike disease. But when he accidentally causes an outbreak of meningitis, Billy realises he can't handle this kind of power, and must hunt out the previous White Rider, who is hiding in the memories of his long, strange life. After years of causing death and disease, the White Rider has become insane, and plans on an outbreak more terrifying than any the earth has seen before...

Loss is another excellent book in the Riders of the Apocalypse series, which deals with teenagers struggling with different problems who then become one of the riders, and their experiences with their new powers and responsibilities. Though all part of a series, each book can be read as a stand alone, and nothing is lost by reading them out of order. This book's protagonist, Billy, is a very sympathetic character. Watching his life of abuse and pain is moving, especially if you (like myself) have experienced bullying in the past. Even if you haven't, the frustration, anger, and self loathing that Billy feels is written in a clear and very convincing way, and I found myself desperately hoping for a scene where Billy stands up and finally gets his own back. Though this doesn't actually happen in Loss, the battles Billy does win, over his own self doubt and outlook on life, are much more important. This is not a book about revenge, it's about accepting yourself no matter what others think - which can often be harder than getting your own back.

The world building in this book is fascinating and well researched, the story of King Mita tying in very well with the Riders' biblical tale. The character Death and the other horsemen are all entertaining and it is a very good thing they all get their own books, as you cannot help but want to know more about them all. There is also a very funny and cute scene from the point of view of the White Horse, who is excited to have not one but two riders now. Death himself is an amazing character, and though he doesn't get as much focus in this book as I would have liked, this is not his story (thankfully, Death's story is the next and final book in this series Breath).

Billy's story is one of struggles and triumphs, both over other people and yourself. It's moving and very satisfying, and I can't recommend it enough.

4.5 stars. ( )

Billy Ballard is bullied daily. He hates his life because of the bullies and because he has to take care of his grandfather who has Alzheimer's. His mother is constantly working and tired, so the responsibility often falls on him. Then, everything changes when Death tells Billy he must take up the white cloak and become Pestilence. He doesn't want to, but the Bow that unleashes disease follows him. He accidentally lashes out at his tormenters, spreading meningitis at his school. He is horrified that he would stoop to that level and basically become a bully as well. He begs Death for a way out. Pestilence is still alive, but comatose. He must awaken Pestilence to take up his job again or be doomed to do the job instead.

I really liked this novel. Billy is a normal teen who is tormented every single day. I'm sure everyone reading it has at least one memory of being bullied or are currently being bullied. It's frustrating to know that many kids are in the same position as him and many teachers stand by and let the bullying happen. His mother puts a lot of responsibility on him to take care of his grandfather who has Alzheimer's. He doesn't want to bring people to his house and he doesn't have much time to enjoy being a teen. The Alzheimer's makes his beloved grandfather into a stranger to him who can become belligerent or even violent. They can no longer share memories and his grandfather is essentially not the same person that Billy grew up with. The realistic portrayal of his life is the triumph of this book. I just wanted to give Billy a hug and tell him that his life won't be that way forever.

The other thing I really loved about this book was Pestilence. Billy goes into his consciousness to get him to wake up and do his job and views his memories and experiences. His history is inspired by a mix of myth and folklore and I totally nerded out while reading. Both the King Midas tale and the story of Robin Hood were retold and mixed together in a dynamic and interesting way. It was unexpected and it made the story much more memorable and enjoyable.

Loss is a wonderful mix of harsh reality and myths and legends. I had no idea it was part of a series, which may shed more light on some of the minor characters. I would definitely read the rest of the series and eagerly await for more books from Jackie Morse Kessler. ( )

This continues to be a fantastic series. I loved Billy and felt so sorry for his situation - and was furious at the inattention of the adults around him. His growth in this book feels quite realistic (well, as realistic as fantasy can be). The whole series (Hunger and Rage are the other two titles) is highly recommended. I can't wait for the next book! ( )