SSR Book Review

For this semester's SSR, I read Markus Zusak's I Am the Messenger.

At nineteen years old, Ed Kennedy is just an ordinary person. Stuck in a dead end job as an illegal taxi cab driver, he lives alone in an apartment with his dog, the Doorman. In his free time, he hangs out with his four friends, one of whom he is hopelessly in love with, playing cards. Considered a failure by his mother and constantly shown up by his younger brother, Ed knows his life is going nowhere fast.That is, until he inadvertently apprehends a bank robber and becomes the talk of the town. Still, Ed doesn’t believe he has done anything special; as far as he’s concerned, he’s still a deadbeat loser where it counts. Then the first message arrives: the ace of diamonds with three addresses listed on the front. Ed has been chosen as a messenger, a person picked out to help others in need. In order to complete his mission, he must visit each of the addresses listed on the card, determine what needs to be done to help the people who live there, and then successfully help them. After one ace is completed, another ace will appear with a set of instructions for Ed to follow.

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, author of the Book Thief, is a fast-paced read that will grab your complete attention. Once you start to read it, you won’t be able to put it down. I certainly couldn’t. Zusak weaves his riveting story carefully, leaving the reader guessing at Ed’s next assignment and his next actions. So join Ed Kennedy as he works through the ace of diamonds, the ace of clubs, the ace of spades, and the ace of hearts. Each card involves harder clues to solve and brings harder assignments for him to complete. And along the way, Ed learns important lessons about living life to the fullest, about love, and about how one person can make a difference, no matter how ordinary. I Am the Messenger contains an important message for us all to help others, even if we don’t think we can make a difference.