Author: Jackie Morse Kessler
Series: Riders of the Apocalypse #3
Billy Ballard is the local punching bag, the kid everyone picks on, the boy who never fights back. He keeps his head down at school, cares for his Alzheimer's-afflicted grandfather, and generally hates his life. He also has nightmares about the "Ice Cream Man" -- nightmares that are about to become all too real, when Death himself shows up on Billy's doorway and hands him the Bow of Pestilence.
I really enjoyed the story here -- the idea of Pestilence having been so disenchanted with and maddened by his job that he tricks little Billy, who must now at fifteen go get him back. It's a change from the previous two books; although I enjoyed both of them, the story arcs were very similar, and this one takes a slightly different tack.
I also really love the way Kessler puts words together. I love that she's putting out such a vehement anti-bullying message, and I love that she's donating proceeds from this novel to Alzheimer's research. It was a fun story and a good continuation of the series.
But Billy felt kind of flat to me. He's the school punching bag, sure, but there are references to bringing home good grades and slight hints that he's into music that could have helped him be so much more rounded as a character. There are vague indications that he has a personality besides "bullying victim," but that's the only part that's really developed. And while I think the message about standing up to bullies is incredibly important, I think it's also important to acknowledge that there is more to a person than just being bullied.
So I don't know. I definitely liked the book, but there were also things that I thought could have been better. I'm still going to look for book four for sure, but I'm not going to say LOSS is my favorite in the series.
