I Am the Messenger

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak was recommended to me from a close friend who shares common interests with me with the proposal that "I would LOVE it". It took me about a week to read this 368 page book because nothing really held a captivation for me. With a scattered storyline and a weak writing technique, Markus Zusak did not make it onto any of my lists for I Am the Messenger. However, the overall story itself had a very interesting proposal and kept me rooting, somewhere in my mind, for the "romance" as it usually does.

Ed Kennedy is just an innocent, underage taxi driver who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Caught in a bank robbery, Ed and his friends are in no real danger from this terrible thief but something tells Ed to do something and that is how Ed ends up stopping the robber and saving the day. Picture in the newspaper and a warm feeling in his heart, Ed doesn't expect anything to really come from his heroism but, of course, something always does. It is then that Ed begins to receive the cards in the mail; and, no, I'm not talking about a "Thank-You" card or a "Happy Birthday" card, I mean a playing card. An Ace of Spades to be exact. Now, Ed is caught up in a dangerous loop of events in which he, again, plays the hero. A lonely old woman, a poor mother, a batty old theater-owner, and a girl who needs to learn to love, all of these Ed must face along with many others. Will Ed be able to do his job? If so, what is his reward? Surely something must come out of his services, right?

The story itself doesn't sound that bad put like this, but it isn't a book I'd really recommend. Sure, there are some sweet moments and it isn't an incredibly bad novel, but the ideas are just too mixed up and hard to follow. To some, this may be an excellent read and many may enjoy this novel, however, I would say otherwise. I Am the Messenger is a good tale of finding yourself in the strangest of situations but is it really put together well?

Rating: 5.5/10