Review: I AM THE MESSENGER

Title: I am the Messenger

Author: Markus Zusak

Publisher: Macmillan Publishers

Rating: 6/5

Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future.  He’s pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman.  His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetency until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.

That’s when the first ace arrives in the mail.

That’s when Ed becomes the messenger.

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only on question remains.  Who’s behind Ed’s mission? 

This book was so good.  Man, can Markus Zusak write.  I might have mentioned this before but I LOVE  The Book Thief.  I love every single thing about it.  So one would think that I’d naturally gravitate towards I am the Messenger but I didn’t.  I just assumed (wrongly) that this one would only disappoint me.  And, ironically, I picked it up on a whim, just like I did with The Book Thief . And like with The Book Thief, I fell in love with it immediately.  This book is just so amazing and carries with it such a sweet message.  I just love how Markus Zusak is able to write in such beautiful themes and messages into really serious situations.  I love his books so much.  Just…wow.  Wow.

SOME SPOILERS


So, I’ve got to say, the beginning was kind of strange.  What irked me most how calm and unperturbed Ed, Ritchie, Audrey, and Marv were.  I mean, there was a gunman in their bank!

Ed.  I love Ed’s character so much.  He doesn’t think he’s special and yes, at first he was fairly ordinary, but not many people would have followed the directions on the card, let alone help these people.  And personally, I’m really happy he didn’t kill the guy from Edgar Street.  Ed suffered through  so much, yet he kept going, kept helping people.  And I’m really thrilled he and Audrey finally got together.  And this is kind of random but I loved this quote, “Sometimes people are beautiful.  Not in looks.  Not in what they say.  Just in what they are.”

And Marv.  At first, I was kind of irritated with him but then, when we learned his secret and why he never wasted money, my heart broke.

This was just pure and utter perfection and I don’t think there’ll ever be enough words to express how much I love this book.  Just take my word for it.  I love it.  This books is spectacular.