An apocalyptic action tale about saving the world … and finding oneself, with three queer, Black protagonists.
Twelve-year-old Alex Wise isn’t having a good start to his summer. His best friend Loren is leaving town, and his crush isn’t speaking to him after they came out as gay to each other—in fact, he’s been hanging out with a kid who makes anti-gay remarks. Not only that, but Alex’s mom is sending him and his younger sister Mags on a cruise with their dad, who has left them to start a new family, complete with (as Alex sees it) a more perfect son. Then there is the shadowy presence that Alex thinks might be following him….
When the Shadow Man makes his presence known by kidnapping Mags, Mags is possessed by the ancient spirit of Death, and the other three Horsemen (-people!) of the Apocalypse are also unleashed. Luckily, Alex also becomes possessed by a god (who happens to be nonbinary and asexual), and encounters a young demi-god, Liam, who knows more about the powers at work and may be able to help. But Alex is finding it hard to control his powers, Liam is uncooperative, and the Horsemen are causing increasing chaos around the world. Can Alex, Loren, and Liam—with help from Alex’s fourth-grade teacher, Mr. Dexter—find a way to stop them, while also saving his sister?
The book is a little fuzzy on exactly how the Horsemen “wreak havoc,” causing entire governing bodies and militaries to disappear, deadly pests to destroy food supplies, and countries to declare states of emergency. That’s probably appropriate for the age group. But this is less a look at society in an apocalypse, and more a story of its young hero and his friends trying to stop the disaster. There’s action aplenty here and delightful banter among the characters, plus magical weapons, ancient gods, a same-sex crush, and themes of both self-growth and friendship, making this a compelling read.
The best part of the story is Alex’s personal evolution from an insecure boy who feels abandoned by his father, friends, and crush, into a young man who comes to realize his own resilience and strength. “You can never hope to understand the feelings of others until you understand your own,” Alex is told at one point by one of the gods. It’s a sentiment worthy of Yoda, and there is much of the classic hero’s journey here—but with an original mythology and a Black, queer hero (and largely Black supporting cast), this story is far from old. The ending is satisfying, although an epilogue sets things up for an obvious sequel.
Alex, Loren, and Liam are Black; Alex is gay, Loren is bi- or pansexual (“I’ll like whoever I please,” she says), and Liam is hinted to be gay. Mr. Dexter is bisexual and has “fair brown skin.” The Horsemen are Black, Latine, Asian (Korean), and White.
