| Rage | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Jackie Morse Kessler |
| Cover artist | Sammy Yuen |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | Horsemen of the Apocalypse |
| Genre(s) | Young-adult fiction, Fantasy |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| Publication date | April 2011 |
| Media type | |
| ISBN | 978-0547445281 |
| Preceded by | Hunger |
Rage is a 2011 young adult novel by Jackie Morse Kessler. A teenage girl who cuts herself must take on the role of War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
In her criticism of violence within contemporary young adult fiction, Meghan Cox Gurdon cites Rage as an example of literature that may "help normalize" pathology and "even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures".[1] Kessler refuted this idea in her blog, saying, "The entire purpose of the book — indeed, of all of the Riders of the Apocalypse books — is to raise awareness of issues such as self-injury and eating disorders and bullying."[2]
Kirkus Reviews gave a mixed review of the novel: praising the portrayals of the other horsemen and their steeds but saying, "the psychological and social issues overwhelm the paranormal elements here, and the theme of overcoming self-harm through apocalyptic power wears thin on this second outing. Dark humor and realistic situations cannot overcome the swiftly staling premise."[3]