From the author of The Book Thief comes this darkly funny and ultimately uplifting thriller which proves that anyone can be extraordinary. Ed Kennedy is just your less-than-average Joe who is hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. But after he single-handedly manages to catch a bank robber, he receives a playing card in the mail: the Ace of Diamonds. This is the first message. Four more will follow. But before this particular card game can end, Ed will be changed forever . . . Will Audrey love the man he has ...
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From the author of The Book Thief comes this darkly funny and ultimately uplifting thriller which proves that anyone can be extraordinary. Ed Kennedy is just your less-than-average Joe who is hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. But after he single-handedly manages to catch a bank robber, he receives a playing card in the mail: the Ace of Diamonds. This is the first message. Four more will follow. But before this particular card game can end, Ed will be changed forever . . . Will Audrey love the man he has become?
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Add this copy of I Am the Messenger to cart. $17.00, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2006 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Truly loved this book!
Story was very different from anything else I have
ever read before.
You definitely were rooting for the characters.
Great story....heartwarming, poignant too!
Definitely a great read!!!
Eric L
Mar 16, 2016
Another good one
A very good, very easy read. I was skeptical that this would be on par with Book Thief, but though it is very different it is still very good. Has some nice themes with heft, and the spare style that made Book Thief so good. Highly recommended.
glp1cnp2yahoo@gmail.com
Mar 27, 2014
Very good book
It is the story of everybody's life if we take life seriously.
ROBERT L
Nov 7, 2013
Interesting plot
The books plot has many twists and turns and builds the characters so you can identify with them. The ending ties everything togeter very well.
GoluxGirl
Jan 20, 2009
entertaining and suspenseful
I had a feeling about this book in the store--that sudden understanding that I would either really love it, or really hate it. I took a chance for the positive, and that chance paid off. I've never read anything by Zusak before; he's a talented writer, with a sharp ear for dialogue and a quick wit. The lead character is highly relatable, an everyman schlub caught between teenage angst and adult pragmatism. I like the way Zusak builds from one assignment to the next. I like the way Ed's eyes and understanding open mission by mission.
***Kinda spoiler-y*** As Ed grew to understand his life as a messenger, I couldn't help but think that what he is learning is the whole purpose of life (or pretty close to it). Ed has to watch the houses and the people in order to know what needs to be done. He can't just waltz in and out of their lives. He has to connect on a personal level. Ed shows us the meaning of friendship, family, and community, by taking part in the lives of those around him.
A few things make me hesitate to recommend it completely: For one thing, there is far too much swearing. I don't like it, though the writing is good enough that I overlooked it this time (I've been known return books to the store unfinished). Also -- and here's another BIT OF SPOILER, so skip to the end if you don't want to know -- I didn't like the meta-reference ending; it made the story feel suddenly like a sermon. Good point, Zusak, I got it, no need to point to it with neon.
Overall: stylish, smart, fun, mysterious, and thought-provoking.
