The Fourth Horseman

by Kate Thompson

The first time Laurie and her dad see the white rider, watching them from the deep, cool shadows of the trees, he is alone. Laurie is convinced that his appearance has a meaning that somehow he is trying to tell them something - something her dad needs to pay attention to. Is the rider somehow linked to the genetic research into squirrels that Laurie is helping her dad with in the lab? When a second rider with a bloody sword appears alongside the first, and then a third and a fourth, Laurie knows she must try to understand who they are and what they represent. With the help of her brother and his best friend, she discovers what the riders mean, but will it be too late to stop the inevitable chain of events that has been set in motion?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Religion, Fiction, Science Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Kate Thompson is an award-winning writer for children and adults.She has lived in Ireland, where many of her books are set, since 1981. She is the youngest child of the social historians and peace activists E. P. Thompson and Dorothy Towers. She worked with horses and travelled in India before settling in the west of Ireland with her partner Conor. They have two daughters, Cliodhna and Dearbhla. She is an accomplished fiddler with an interest in Irish traditional music, reflected in The New Policeman.

While Kate Thompson's children's fiction is primarily fantasy, several of her books also deal with the consequences of genetic engineering.

She has won the Bisto Children's Book of the Year Award four times, for The Beguilers, The Alchemist's Apprentice, Annan Water and The New Policeman. The New Policeman was also awarded the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Whitbread Children's Book Award and the Dublin Airport Authority Children's Book of the Year Award for 2005.

Reviews

[Hallie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've liked some of Kate Thompson's books a lot, but this one really didn't do it for me. I thought the voice was not terribly good and SO much about fate, which tends to annoy me. I don't remember a lot about the book, but this got to me big-time:

I don't know why it was that Mum was never there when the most momentous things happened. For some reason she had no part to play in the drama that had started to unfold and that was soon to reach its climax. [...:] At least, that was what her fate seemed to have planned for her: to be the one who heard about it all after it had happened, and who had to help pick up the scattered pieces of her family's lives. Perhaps it was her punishment for having been away from us so much.

Her punishment - for daring to take a job (physiotherapist) that led her to be away on tour with the national cricket team - leaving her husband and two 'extremely independent' teens at home. Gah.

[Du Si Cist · Rating 2 out of 5]

První z mé série "příběhů ze sklepa". Mám doma prostě několik beden knih po babičce, které jsem odložil s tím, že mě něčím zkrátka nezaujaly. Ale pořád tam jsou takže - proč to nezkusit. Přeci jen, nemáš soudit knihu podle obalu. A tohle rčení opravdu platí, aspoň pro Čtvrtého jezdce.

Měl jsem za to, že beru do ruky techno-tajemno-thriller ve stylu Jamese Rollinse. A ona je to místo toho dětská literatura, nebo možná už pro náctileté? Vlastně nevím jak o tom psát, protože patnáct už mi bylo dvakrát a ještě kousek k tomu. Příběh je opravdu výjimečně jednoduchý, navíc vyprávěný takovým popisným stylem, ze kterého se nedá brát až tak vážně. Světová apokalypsa se dokáže prostřídat s domácí pohodou v kuchyni i v rámci jednoho odstavce.

Překlad je konečně něco, co jde zhodnotit objektivně. A i když se v textu neobjevují úplně kiksy, paní nebo slečně Brabcové k dobrému řemeslu ještě leccos chybí. Hlavně zbavit se otrockého překladu angloamerických idiomů (např. "otevřít konzervu červů" nebo mít "vlasy sůl a pepř").

V rámci žánru asi přijatelný zástupce, mě na dva večery knížka stačila a neurazila, i když jsem si kvůli jiné cílovce při četbě chvílemi připadal až provinile. Být mladší, dovedu si představit že hvězdičku přidám. Jako mladší jsem měl rád seriál Věřte, nevěřte a Čtvrtý jezdec by se tam výborně hodil, je to příběh podobného rázu.

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a thrilling ride about a secret government project, cricket, and stopping an apocalyptic event. I really enjoyed this book, it read quick and had some interesting characters and moments that pulled in current events at the time. I'm not sure I understand cricket, so those parts were fun but I couldn't quite picture how the game goes. Our main character is a bit of a loner and tags along with her little brother and his best friend a lot. It's got a small town vibe to it, set in the country. Overall, an interesting read and I do enjoy this author's prose.

[Ethna Brave · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an intriguing and well written book, that keeps you hooked till the end. The theme of the book is very topical, almost scarily so, but I won't spoil the story!

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

The science is kind of cool. But the ending was underwhelming, and the dad was a real jerk to Laurie by ignoring and avoiding her.

[maMbo jamBo · Rating 2 out of 5]

two stars for the sake of aikido being in the story

[Daniel de los Mozos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tengo sentimientos encontrados con este libro, pensé que la historia iba a ir por un camino y resulto que, debido a la portada y a la sinopsis me había creado una idea preconcebida. Sin duda no hay que juzgar un libro por su portada.
La historia comienza con un gran desastre, la protagonista de la historia, Laurie, nos cuenta como se ha visto envuelta en una serie de sucesos que la han llevado hasta el momento de su detención. Su hermano Alex y su amigo Javed también están involucrados y entre los tres nos van a relatar que es lo que ha ido sucediendo hasta llegar a ese momento. Laurie nos cuenta como vive su vida tras dejar el equipo de cricket del instituto por una lesión, y como su padre que es un reconocido virólogo, acepta un nuevo trabajo de un hombre la mar de sospechoso, el señor Davenport.
Todo parece ir normal, un nuevo trabajo para su padre, las clases que avanzan tranquilamente, su hermano y su amigo realizan prácticas de aikido… Para tener las tardes ocupadas Laurie decide ayudar a su padre en el laboratorio con sus nuevos huéspedes, las ardillas. Ella se encarga de educarlas y criarlas. La vida normal de una chica hasta que ocurre el primer encuentro. Justo a la salida del laboratorio ven una extraña silueta montada a caballo, y tras ese momento todos los engranajes empiezan a girar, desencadenando una serie de sucesos que sacudirán al mundo.

[Neill Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laurie’s dad is working on research for some mysterious company involving introducing viruses into native red squirrels so they will infect invasive grey squirrels. Her mother is rarely at home having taken a job as a trainer for the English cricket team. As Laurie helps her father she sees a vision of a king on a white horse in the woods and sees that her dad is mesmerized by the vision but won’t talk about it. As the research proceeds another vision with another horseman appears. Laurie worries about the ethics of her father’s research and later about the connection between the horsemen and political unrest in a country from where some of her friends emigrated. These connections come to a head with a coup in that country. The metaphors are a little muddled and stretched.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Not great though. It was a bit of a weird story to tell the truth.

The story starts at the end and then goes on to tell you how they got there. Laurie and her brother worry when their dad is asked to open a lab and conduct an experiment to kill off the population of grey squirrels.

In reality he has basically been asked for a chemical to help commit genocide but no-one realises it till the end when as through the book, the four horsemen of the apocalypse slowly appear one by one. A bit Meh in my opinion.

[María Parra Sánchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

El cuarto jinete es una lectura agradable, ágil, con una historia bien narrada que te atrae desde el principio, aun cuando ya prevemos cual es la trama, y que toca cuestiones del mundo actual inquietantes y que nos animan a pensar. Una buena lectura para chicos de 14 años en adelante que también puede entretener a un adulto.
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[Pedro Benoliel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bland, perfect family plays cricket in the countryside for 250 pages, while something vaguely resembling the beginnings of a plot tries and fails to rear its head - all complete with a delightful 'SCIENCE IS EVIL!' message. Great book if you want to read detailed descriptions of cricket matches (or are particularly fond of squirrels), but do not go in expecting a story.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was boring

[Nicola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and terrible. It really is waste of time to read this.

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

liked it but not a book i'd ever read again.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strange book! It was both riveting and frightening. I do hope science will not ever be used in this way.

[Joannne · Rating 2 out of 5]

an easy read but not really much to the story.

[Jolly Matuszak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wenn das ganze Buch um die Politik in Schasakstan gehen würde wäre es gut, aber der Fantasyteil mit den vier Apokalyptischenreitern hätte nicht sein müssen.

[Susanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ich wollte ein Buch über die Apokalyptischen Reiter lesen...

Es wurde ein Buch über Cricket... und dann die Apokyptischen Reiter. Wie gut, dass das Buch ein Flohmarkt fund war :(

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

More Medieval mystery fun, which I love. Some history, some culture and a good mystery. Not deep, but all reading doesn't need to edify. It is alright to be entertained sometimes.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really well planned out and was great -once you understood it and had got a little ways through- overall really liked it.