I Am The Messenger by Marcus Zusak
Having just discovered Marcus Zusak this year having The Book Thief (review here) I was eager to read more of him. And it seemed like everybody that was reading The Book Thief was reading his I Am the Messenger. So I thought why not? What can I tell you about I Am the Messenger that you already don’t know?
Ed Kennedy is a loser. All of his friends are losers. They basically sit around and pathetically play cards while he pathetically pines away with love towards one of his best friends Audrey. But he’s to pathetic to do anything about it. Ed pathetically drives a cab (although he’s underage) and comes home each day to his foul smelling dog called The Doorman. So that’s how his life goes. One pathetic day after another. But that all changes when he happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (or is is the right place at the right time) and foils a bank robbery.
Soon after this incident, Ed receives a ace in the mail with just three things written on it. Three addresses and times. It soon becomes apparent to Ed that at each of these addresses is a person in need of his help. Can he shed himself of his pathetic-ness (just seeing how many times I can use the word pathetic) and do the right thing? Does he really have something that he can offer to each person?
Upon completing his tasks, he receives another ace with more clues. After working through his tasks, he receives another. An then another. With each passing ace, his “assignments” begin to hit closer to home. He becomes less of a loser, less pathetic, and more of a person who makes a difference to those all around him.
I thought I Am the Messenger was a great story and I enjoyed Zusak’s writing style. The con: lot’s of language but I think I was expecting that before going into it so I wasn’t surprised. I’d recommend it.
Marcus Zusak’s website here.
On a completely unrelated matter: 5 days left in my current giveaway. Click here for all the details and here for the book titles. I’m giving away 2 books to 10 winners. Each comment on any post on my blog counts as an entry. Double your entries if you mention the giveaway on your blog (or by email for non-bloggers). Enter as many times as you want.
Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!
Tags: Fiction, I-L Title, male author, Printz, Printz Honor, published 2008, Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
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I definitely plan on reading this, loathing for The Book Thief aside. I like to give authors a few tries before I chuck them.
on April 26th, 2008 at 8:26 amI have this one and the Book Thief both sitting on my shelf and I haven’t read either of them! I think I’m the only person in the world who hasn’t read any Zusak yet…oh well, at least I own them! I’m really looking forward to them for what that’s worth! This one sounds good!
on April 26th, 2008 at 9:26 amI liked Messenger almost as much as The Book Thief. It is so completely different, but still great. Thanks for your review.
on April 26th, 2008 at 10:07 amChris, you’re not the only one who hasn’t read any Zusak, I’m still trying to find The Book Thief used.
on April 26th, 2008 at 10:11 amI enjoyed this one. But not quite as much as Book Thief. But overall, I must say that I’m a Zusak fan.
P.S. I’m getting ready to post about the giveaway on my blog. Do I need to send you the link when it’s posted?
on April 26th, 2008 at 11:36 amI loved the Book Thief and look forward to reading I am the Messenger. Thanks for reviewing it!
on April 26th, 2008 at 12:39 pmRaych – It’s worth a try!
Chris – You’re just like me! I have so many books that I own that I haven’t read. I just love the fact that I have so many possibilities right under my nose.
Framed – I liked The Book Thief better but I thought they were both great.
Jen – I read my copy of The Book Thief from the library and mentioned to my husband that I wanted to buy it for our own library. Imagine my surprise when he ran into the library to pick up some holds and he brought back The Book Thief. I told him I had just returned it, what what he doing? Ends up it was in the book sale area for TEN CENTS!
Becky – If you do a trackback, it should show up. Wordpress usually tells me whenever I have any incoming links. Don’t worry, I’ll catch it.
Janelle – You’re welcome!
on April 26th, 2008 at 1:51 pmBecky – I forgot to mention, thanks for stopping by my blog! I think it’s your first visit. I’ve always been a lurker of yours!
on April 26th, 2008 at 1:52 pmI loved The Book Thief and can’t wait to read this one. It will be put on my never ending tbr list.
on April 26th, 2008 at 2:50 pmI loved this book! I loved Ed’s faith and belief in himself to do the right thing.
on April 26th, 2008 at 4:27 pmI love this book. I love the poetic-ness (?) of this book, where I found it a tad cheesy in The Book Thief.
on April 26th, 2008 at 5:30 pmI’m just at the beginning of The Book Thief and am finding the way its written to be a bit distracting (although I’m sure I’ll get used to it as I go along). Does The Messenger have a similar sort of narration?
on April 26th, 2008 at 8:56 pmErin – The TBR is always never ending isn’t it? A neighbor recently said that he had run out of books to read, that there was nothing left that interested him. Unimaginable in my world.
Raidergirl3 – Ed’s transformation was nice to witness.
Charley – Zusak is a brilliant writer. I’m going to check out his other ones at some point.
Sprite – No, I Am the Messenger isn’t written in the same style but still has the nice lyrical writing style. Have you read my review for The Book Thief? I talk about that same thing about how Death was so distracting in the beginning. I think it was meant to be. Death is never a character that we’d like to see in our own life.
on April 26th, 2008 at 10:31 pmHaven’t read anything by him yet but he is on my TBR pile – can’t wait:)
on April 27th, 2008 at 4:45 am*groan* going to check this one out over at Amazon and then most likely it will hit the wish list! That list sure never gets shorter!
on April 27th, 2008 at 4:53 amI loved The Book Thief, and my sister got me I Am the Messenger for Christmas — it was completely different to what I expected, but I was in love with it by the end.
on April 27th, 2008 at 7:35 amI have this one on my bookshelf, but I’ve been putting off reading it. I loved Book Thief so much that I’m afraid I will be disappointed in I Am the Messenger. I really just need to read it already! Thanks for the review.
on April 27th, 2008 at 7:55 amI’m not sure what it is about this book that doesn’t really make me want to run out and get it. The reviews have been favorable–not as much as The Book Thief–What do you think…? To be honest, I was surprised at the language in BT also. By the way, you saw that I mentioned your giveaway, right?
on April 27th, 2008 at 8:08 amHey, Natasha,
I found your blog through the weekly geeks. Anyway, I absolutely ADORE Markus Zusak’s books. But I actually thought the language in this book made it more real.
-RR2
on April 27th, 2008 at 11:37 amI really enjoyed your review of this. I can’t decide if I want to read it though…since I loved The Book Thief so very much.
on April 30th, 2008 at 6:15 pmI have put this on my, Oh my god I have to read this list. I have read the Book Thief and it was very appealing and poetic simultaneously. I hope this is as good as you said. Great Review!
on April 30th, 2008 at 9:00 pmI just finished Book Thief and I can’t wait to pick up my next Zusak book. I totally loved Book Thief. Its nice to know that he is not just a “one book” person.. Will read this one soon!
on May 7th, 2008 at 1:18 pmi just finished the Messenger we had to read it for school and i have to say even as a 15 year old with a short attention spand i LLLLOOOOOVVVVEEEDDDD this book! i cant wait to read The Book Thief. I hope its just as good.
on May 22nd, 2008 at 1:38 amI am the messenger was a great book that was hard to put down. I would definitley recomend it to anyone. 5 stars
on May 30th, 2008 at 6:36 amMarkus Zusak is an incrediable author. IATM was just simply amazing, and The Book Thief is also another breath-taking read. For any book junkies out there I recomend that you read any of Markus’ work.
on October 21st, 2008 at 10:46 amThis was a great book. I picked it up in my English teacher’s bookshelf in 8th grade.
I still have it… feeling guilty I took it from her room, but gosh, the book is just such an entrancing read!
I like how it was so real, as Reader Rabbit stated. Markus Zusak describes well too! Everything flowed nicely, and it was a blast reading.
In my opinion, I liked the ending, as it was like a “rude awakening from a quiet alarm”. I thought Zusak did this on purpose, as to let the ‘message’ sink in more deeply, and make the audience decide what they were to do with it.
Great review Natasha, looking forward to more great stuff in the future!
on February 7th, 2010 at 2:14 amHello can somewone send me the full summary of this book because i’m a french student and i haven’t time to read it.
thank you …
on May 25th, 2010 at 10:05 amI have read the Book Thief and it is wonderful. It is a smart, sensitive story of the other victims of the Holocaust, those who lived in Nazi Germany but did not support the Nazis. I have read I am the Messenger as well and have shared with my students who have absolutely loved it. Many of my students have moved on to Zusak’s other novels, Fighting Ruben Wolff and Getting the Girl and they love those as well.
on October 19th, 2010 at 10:23 am