I Am the Messenger

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Average customer rating 4.4 (10 comments)

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The amazing thing about this book is that I can use direct quotes from the book to tell you exactly how it made me feel. "I didn't know words could be so heavy." It reminded me that "Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are." And the most important thing it told me to hold onto in life is that "Maybe everyone can live beyond what they're capable of."

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If you’re looking for a novel like The Book Thief, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a seriously intriguing read, with a seriously irreverent layabout teen lead character, and a mystery that draws you deeper into inexplicable strangeness, even as the message remains disguised, then look no further. This card-player’s cryptic cards will lead Ed on a chase through character and plot, making even the most disturbing scene seem uplifting or even redeeming. Meanwhile the truth behind Ed's mission stays deviously disguised. These teens drink and swear---it’s part of what makes them real, and it’s not gratuitous. They live half-wasted lives in that wasteland before adulthood. They cope with disappointing parents and parental disappointment, and struggle to heal from lack of direction or hope. Meanwhile the protagonist learns that both young and old have problems of their own. He learns to care. And he learns to see what's needed while others are blind. The question, of course, is what hope is there for him, if he’s just the messenger. And the answer? You’ll have to read it to find out. Aimed at older, mature teens, and wonderfully enthralling and revealing for adults too, I Am The Messenger offers a wonderful message in a story that won’t let go. Disclosure: I loved the Book Thief and I knew this would be different, but I love this too.

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I love Markus Zusak's writing style. He writes as his characters would think and talk. The book is written from the perspective of a 19 year old Australian boy who is trying to figure out his place in the world. He is a flawed character who makes mistakes, takes forever to act, and can retreat far into himself. His flaws make him human and his struggles make the reader think. This book challenges readers to think beyond a good story and to ask the tough ethical questions of the grey areas in life. As Ed Kennedy struggles to answer the questions of "who am I?" and "What the hell am I doing with my life?" the reader in turn asks the same questions. Ed is challenged in the story but at the same time, he challenges readers as well.

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I couldn't put this down...I love Markus Zusak's voice...after all, in some small way we are all messengers...

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A remarkable story and amazingly addictive. Really tells you that sometimes the smallest acts of love can really change another person’s world. For the better.

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This book is one of the best books I've ever read. It's powerful, funny, and deep all at once. "You don't complain when I give you a lift to work, Ed, you miserable upstart." "What the hell's an upstart?" Thumbs up to Zusak. I fell in love with his writing!

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Zusak has quickly become one of my favorite young adult authors. Enjoyable for adults, but great for kids 14 and up.

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After reading The Book Thief and loving it, I was curious about I Am the Messenger. It's not as brilliant as The Book Thief, but it's a good read nonetheless. Ed Kennedy is 19 and basically isn't doing a whole lot with his life. He has an elderly, smelly dog named the Doorman, he drives a cab, and he gets together with his friends a few nights a week to play cards. He's in love with Audrey, his best friend, but can't tell her. This all begins to change when Ed foils a completely inept attempt at bank robbery. Soon afterward, he receives a playing card in the mail with three addresses written on it. At each address, there is a problem to be solved, an intervention to be made, and thus begin the strangest months of Ed's life. The book could be a sappy one, and occasionally it strays into sentimental territory. However, Zusak's unflinching portrayal of life's petty brutalities, as well as his sure sense of the ways that friends (including friends that are dogs) interact with each other, keep this from being overly preachy. The ending takes an unexpected turn that might throw off some readers, but I rather liked it.

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This wasn't a very god book, it just didn't grab me in the first few chapters, i wasnt interested in some one like me.!

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When i picked this book off the shelves i thought it was going to be just another crime novel with a loveable, yet forgetable hero. However, as i flipped the pages and was faced with delimmas that seemed so real and organic i realized that Ed was giving me a message as well. Meet Ed, the unforgetably honest character that has character and promise no matter what he thinks. Zusack makes the words and story flow so well i kept thinking that this would make a great TV series. Ed seemed so human and his wit charmed me from the bank robbery scene right till the end. Although the romance with Audrey leaves something to be desired, i really like that Zusack kept it realistic right till the very end. It was a really good book that ended up being more about human emotions than your typical shoot em up crime novel. Zusack is truly an innovative author that deserves respect and my time. in fact, i think i will go to the library and get another book of his i enjoyed I am the Messenger so much.