I firmly believe that some of the best literary work today is being done in the Young Adult field. It is a genre that bristles with heart and plot and is devoid of much of the despair and cynicism in more contemporary adult literature. Many of these books deal with issues that cut across age lines and speak to the heart of the condition (ex. The Hunger Games trilogy is a passionate feminist paean to peace).
Two books coming out in the coming months are a great addition to this boon in quality YA literature and serve as the first two entries in what is being dubbed “The Horsemen of the Apocalypse” series. Both titles are penned by Jackie Morse Kessler and bring a novel approach to deadly serious subjects.
The first book, due out on October 18th, is entitled Hunger. Lisabeth Lewis, a 17 year old girls battling anorexia, is tapped to become Famine and is equipped with the matching horse and scales.
In the second book Rage, releasing in April, a 16 year old girl named Missy, who is a cutter, becomes War.
Both of these books are filled with heart and delve into some pretty dark, yet important, subjects. Kessler does a fine job of bringing these characters to life and treats their struggles with warmth, humor and care. Through the lens of the horsemen these girls are able to confront their afflictions by placing them in the larger context of the pains of mankind.
These are books not to be missed.
