Book Review: I Am the Messenger (Markus Zusak)

by Abby R.

I was immediately drawn to I Am the Messenger when I spotted it on the library shelf. Having heard nothing about the book, I was at first hesitant, but upon reading the inside cover I felt compelled to take it home. I began reading it as soon as I arrived home and was promptly immersed in the fascinating world created by Markus Zusak. From the first line on, I was hooked. I was awake long into the night and finished it the next day. I simply could not put it down!

The plot is expertly woven and the characters are realistic and believable. The protagonist is nineteen-year-old Ed Kennedy, a taxicab driver with a bleak future ahead of him. When he involuntarily stops a bank heist, his life takes a dramatic turn. He receives an ace of clubs with addresses scrawled on it in the mail and inadvertently becomes a messenger, bringing hope to those who had none. He is instructed to assist others, to be an enigmatic benefactor and to help them change their lives for the better. He aids many, including those who are close to him. When he begins making a difference in his town, Ed begins to realize that he can rise above his meaningless life. One question constantly lingers in his mind however….who is behind his mission and why? In the end, his mysterious overseer and his motives are finally revealed in a surprising twist.

Although I Am the Messenger is a fairly substantial book at nearly 400 pages, I found it to be a rather quick read. In some books I’ve read, I find that the plot drags or falls flat. Not so with this book. Admittedly, the lives that the main characters lead are depressing in that they seem to have no meaning. I suppose though, that this is merely my personal opinion, and that this book (as will any book) influences people differently.

Overall, this book was AMAZING!! I would very highly recommend this book. Markus Zusak has more than proved himself an adept writer in my eyes.