Book Review

Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler

Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard has been bullied his entire life.  And instead of fighting it, he has acknowledged that the best thing to do is accept his being bullied; after all, the bullies eventually get bored and walk away.  The only problem with this strategy is Billy has been called upon by Death to become Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse.  As a child, Billy was tricked into accepting the post by the White Rider himself, in exchange for a ride on Pestilence’s warhorse.  Now Billy holds the Bow, which gives him the power to strike with disease from a distance.  The previous White Rider, still holds the Crown and means to unleash a disease upon the world that will make the Black Plague look like a cold.  Can Billy overcome his fears and save the world by taking a stand against the ultimate bully?  While one cannot relate to Billy as much as the previous characters in the earlier Riders of the Apocalypse books, the story should keep one’s interest. 

 

-Recommended for Grades 6 and up