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| I Am the Messenger | 
| Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Category: Book
List Price: $8.95
Buy New: $4.85
You Save: $4.10 (46%)
New (38) from $4.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  62 reviews
Sales Rank: 6509
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0375836675
EAN: 9780375836671
ASIN: 0375836675
Publication Date: May 9, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: 100% Brand New! - Ships Today! Identical to Amazon's book in every way. Flawless! Not a cheap Remainder or Book Club Copy! *We recommend Expedited Shipping option for much faster mail delivery
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Product Description
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.
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 57 more reviews...
 The Message is Poetry over Plot August 30, 2008
Markus is an immensely talented guy - I flipped over every page where he described something with such clever beauty that actually caught my breath while reading it. As result, my copy has so many bent pages it looks like it lost a fight with a rabid cat. This man is a unique author who can capture many fringe emotions (poignancy, heartburn, shame) that most authors ignore because they lack the talent to adequately describe them.
Is the story particularly gripping? No.
Is the pacing appropriate? No. There are many scenes that seemed irrelevant. In fact I once read that a "tight story" is one where no scene or character could be removed without the whole thing falling apart. This is not a tight story.
Is the ending satisfying? Sort of. Yes. No. Although I give him credit for balls. The ending is a ballsy cop out.
I also wonder why this is classified as a young adult novel. If "young" means that most of the main characters are "young" and they are struggling to find their way in the world, then yes it is properly classified. However the reality is that this is a fairly adult book and I wonder what criteria the editor ultimately used to put it in the YA category. The heavy emphasis on alcohol and sex (even rape) seems a bit ragged for the generally softer category of YA. Does this book fit in with the Twillight series? I don't think so....
However I don't want my review to sound as negative as I fear it does. This is a fascinating work by a talented individual. Keep an eye on him, I think he has great work in him.
 Don't miss this thought provoking read! August 27, 2008
I liked this book for being different and thought provoking. It's not the same old tired formula. It hooked me from the start and then had me thinking and sharing ideas with friends.
Amazing! August 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
After falling in love with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, I looked forward to another read by this author --I am sorry I waited so long. The audio version of I Am the Messenger, was fabulous and was narrated with hilarity, sincerity and caring.
Ed Kennedy's life is mediocre, he lives in a shack with his smelly dog named Doorman, and he drives a taxi. Ed's mother can swear with the best of them, and his father died from alcohol complications. After Ed stops a bank robbery, he begins receiving anonymous messages marked in code on playing cards in the mail, and almost immediately his life begins to swerve off its beaten-down path. Usually the messages instruct him to be at a certain address at a certain time. So with nothing to lose, Ed embarks on a series of random missions.
This book tells the story of a young man transcending his belief in himself, who learns to value what he has achieved. It captures the reader from the very start (you'll want to cheer Ed on all the way), and the ending will amaze you.
Amazing. August 7, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This was one of the best books I've ever read. I read The Book Thief first, and thought it was a truly beautiful book. I didn't think it could get much better. But it did. When I finished I Am The Messenger I truly felt inspired, an ending I wasn't expecting. I really wish I had read it sooner, because it was truly AMAZING.
The Compulsive Reader's Reviews July 31, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Before he stopped the bank robbery, Ed's life wasn't that interesting. It was a boring routine of work as a cabdriver, card games, taking care of his ancient dog, and pining after his best friend Audrey. But all that changes suddenly. Because that's when the first card arrives in the mail, and on it are carefully written three addresses. Thus begins Ed's journey, delivering messages he knows nothing about until he is given a place or a person. He offers comfort, strength, encouragement, and even threats, and as he does so, uncovers many truths about his friends, family, and even himself.
I am the Messenger snags your attention from the very first line with its sardonic and wry wit and complete and utter honesty. Ed is an amusing, frustrating, and engaging narrator, and even his self deprecation is entertaining as he regales the reader with his many tasks, set forth by a mysterious, unidentified person. Zusak does a splendid job at turning this seemingly average guy into someone that the reader can relate, but is at the same time perfectly unique and colorful. Funny, painful, poignant, and thought provoking, I am the Messenger is full of thoughtful musings, practical ponderings, and expertly explores human life and interaction in such a way that makes this novel a complete winner.
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