Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011
228 pages
9780547445281
Note: This was a galley copy from NetGalley.com. The release date is April 4, 2011.

Missy's life is complicated. Her parents won't give her the time of day, her sister is her arch nemesis, her perfect boyfriend broke up with her after finding out her dirty little secret, and she just killed her cat, her only friend in the world. How does Missy deal with it all? She cuts. Deep and often. One night, when a party ends disastrously, Missy takes the razor blade too far. Death arrives and offers her a deal; become a Rider of the Apocalypse, War, and continue living, or let her family find her dead on the floor, thinking she committed suicide. Missy chooses to ride, joining Death, Famine, and Pestilence, and finds out what it's really like to be at war with herself.

Judging by the cover...: This book is dark. Extremely dark. And the cover suits the mood. It's eerie, chilling, and a little bit disturbing.

Favorite Elements:

• Death - His appearance this time is as a blonde, well-known Seattle rocker who committed suicide at the height of his career. Apparently an eternity spent as the harvester of souls gives one a dark sense of humor, and his coping mechanism is playing the guitar like a rock star.
• The Black Plague - Want to know what really caused it? Pestilence's identity crisis may have played a part in it.

Overall (out of 5): 4.25
This is the second book in Kessler's Horsemen of the Apocalypse series. I admit that I have not read the first, but I do not think that it hampered my understanding of the story. Hunger (book one) tackles eating disorders and Rage takes an in-depth look at self-mutilation. Kessler's grasp of the disorder is extremely knowledgeable, and any reader who is not familiar with the condition will have a realistic grasp of the information. Kessler does not sugar coat the information and she never takes a didactic tone; Missy's actions, from what I've heard from sufferers and survivors of self-mutilation, are all too common in those who can't cope anymore with their feelings. Even though I've received a free copy, I will be purchasing a finished version, and I have already requested Hunger from the library.

Recommendation: Please read this book. Encourage teens to read the book. Encourage parents to read this book. If only one person reads Rage and is able to recognize Missy's symptoms in another teen, it's all worth it. Note: A portion of the proceeds from this book will go to To Write Love on Her Arms, a charity dedicated to raising awareness about and preventing self-mutilation and suicide.