Houghton Mifflin Harcourt was so gracious to allow me to read an ARC of this novel, through Netgally, prior to its release date of April 8, 2011.  The synopsis of the novel is as follows: “Missy didn’t mean to cut so deep.  But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort?  Sure, most people don’t find comfort in the touch of a razor blade, but Missy always was . . . different.  That’s why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen Apocalypse: War.  Now Missy wields a different kind of blade—a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path.  But it’s with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control.  A unique approach to the topic of self-mutilation, Rage is the story of a young woman who discovers her own power, and refuses to be defeated by the world.

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While this novel is the second in a series, it is a stand alone novel, for which I was grateful as I have not yet read Hunger.  I have ordered it though, because Kessler did an amazing job with her teen angst novel and she caught, and held, my attention from the very first sentence.  I loved the beginning of the novel, and even though I was left with questions pertaining to the dead cat, and the long box, etc., Kessler eventually answers those questions throughout the story.  Waiting for those answers helped create suspense and added to my inability to put the novel down. 

I love the way Kessler creates her novel around the social issue of cutting.  Melissa Miller becomes War, the Red Rider of the Apocalypse, which is fitting as Melissa is at war with herself as she tries to fight the urge to cut.  Cutting is a very real issue in our society, and Kessler ingeniously relates cutting and the war within oneself by using the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  This metaphoric story will steal your attention and keep you turning the pages as the story quickly unfolds.  While at times I did find the text a little wordy, Kessler does a phenomenal job pacing the story and keeping a high interest level. 

I would love to say that the characters surrounding Melissa are unrealistic, unfortunaltey, I know they are not through my personal experiences in high school, and the experiences I now note as I teach high school.  We’ve all heard the age-old adage that “children are cruel.”  Sadly, that does not end when children become teens.  If anything, it tends to get worse.  It amazes me that children and teens are more interested in fitting in than in saving another’s life.  They tend to think that speaking out against cruelty, or telling a teacher or guidance counselor that someone they know needs help, is committing social suicide.  I don’t understand this, since much of it can be done anonymously, but it is a rare case indeed for a young adult to sympathize with someone outside their social group.  The way Melissa’s peers and coach treat her shows societies lack of concern and inability to understand what is not considered the “norm.”  I was very angry with Melissa’s peers as I read, and I found myself yearning for retaliation, just as War urges Melissa to do the same.  Her inner struggle is breathtaking to read, as she not only deals with the struggle of cutting, but also the struggle of doing what is right and containing her rage.  It is not sugarcoated, and there is no fairytale ending, which I believe makes the hard truths of this novel that much more authentic.

This is a wonderful novel for young adults, and its message is not lost on the reader.  I plan to put this out the outside reading list for my students as I think it has a wonderful message that no one can hear too often.  Four stars.