I am the Messenger – Marcus Zusak
Publisher Comments:
Meet Ed Kennedy — underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That’s when the first Ace arrives. That’s when Ed becomes the messenger….Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who’s behind Ed’s mission?
Winner of the 2003 Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award in Australia, I Am the Messenger is a cryptic journey filled with laughter, fists, and love.
I am the Messenger is an excellent book. When we are first introduced to Ed Kennedy, it not clear whether or not the author wants us to like him. Actually, it seems like he wants us to feel about Ed Kennedy, the same way Ed Kennedy feels about himself, lost, ambivalent, and rather pathetic. All of this begins to change when Ed stops a bank robbery, and a few days later he receives the first message. The anonymous messages usually tell him to be at certain addresses where he must survey what is going on with those particular people and figure out what “message” he is supposed to deliver. From that moment on he becomes The Messenger. Ed’s life begins to change and become more meaningful with each task and we began to witness and feel his metamorphosis. This book is really good for a few reasons:
1. It’s suspenseful. There is an underlying tension caused by the unknown identity of the person sending Ed the messages. Also, each individual message has its own level of suspense, will it be dangerous? What will be the end result? This suspense will keep you reading way past your bedtime.
2. The writing is fantastic. Once again I find myself marveling at Marcus Zusak’s voice and his originality.
3. Like, The Book Thief, I am the Messenger is thought provoking in so many ways. You could have a field day with all the themes in this book. What is your life like? Is it what you thought it would be? Is it disappointing and if so, are you brave enough to do anything about it? This book is not really about the messenger, but about the message itself.
My one beef with the book is the ending. It’s a little abstract and postmodern and it doesn’t quite wrap it up as tightly as I would have liked. That being said, the way it ended did not affect my enjoyment of the book. Marcus Zusak scores again big time at BOOKIE!
*************SPOLIER ALERT!!!!!********************
If you read or have read this book, I would love to discuss you thoughts on the ending. Please email me at gosaints.sheri@gmail.com and give me your thoughts!
January 9, 2007 at 12:28 am
I have The Book Thief, and this one sounds interesting, too.
January 9, 2007 at 11:14 pm
I can’t wait to read this one, I’ll be borrowing it soon!
January 9, 2007 at 11:21 pm
LK – If you liked The Book Thief, you will probably like this one too.
Carl – Borrow away!
Thanks for your comments guys!
January 29, 2007 at 6:18 pm
I like the book. And I think the ending is great!
March 13, 2007 at 12:52 am
i enjoyed the book howrever it shood have been written and printed in korean
hoorever it was a very enjoyeable book but i wish there had been more ictures although i learnt a lot from it though the ending was just bad
March 13, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Dongsukim – That blows they didn’t print it in Korean! Have you read The Book Thief? It’s another book by Zusak thats amazing.
March 12, 2008 at 1:22 am
The book is i bit worse than having ur skin ripped off ur FACE!!!
April 9, 2008 at 6:35 pm
i am loving zusac. I just finished Getting The Girl, just after the book thief, and I am hooked. I don’t know why it was young adult, it’s simplicity is part of the beauty, for me.Could be the supreme agony of that age NEEDS the beauty and release Zusac provides so gracefully. He is a gift.
May 15, 2008 at 3:53 pm
wow the book thief, what a phenominal book. i actually cried, for once. i mean i usually get a little teary-eyed… but i couldnt think for a couple of minutes my brain was all distort….
I recommend this to anyone and everyone who enjoys a fantastic book that keeps you turning the pages.
August 24, 2008 at 3:25 am
hey, I also wrote a review on this book, and I also found it really good. I really liked justthe different kind of feel to the book than you get with most fiction these days. It was amazing, and I plan on reading the Book Theif as soon as possible. Anyway, I though you might want to check out my review at bookarazzi.blogspot.com
August 25, 2008 at 8:48 pm
[...] I am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak [...]
November 23, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I love this book and the book thief. theyre my favorite boooks. for those that haven’t read it, go read it! Now!!!! it’ll get you hooked unlike any other boooks. markus zusak is an amazing writer!!!
:):)
June 28, 2009 at 5:22 am
powerful and very real
August 26, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Does anyone know if the book has been translated into French?
Thank you.