Excellent, engaging, enduring novel about a young man who thinks he's a loser. Amazingly, he's okay with that. Then one day his path crosses that of an incompetent bank robber and Ed rises from mediocrity to stop the robbery. For a short while he's someone to a few people in town. After the hoopla dies down he receives an envelope enclosing a playing card with three addresses written on it. Ed suddenly knows that he's being sent to help someone at each of the addresses, and the adventure is off.

I had a bit of trouble with the explanation of how all the events manage to intersect. It is absolutely the weakest part of this book. I didn't find it logical or believable, but I found it a pretty small problem given the rest of the book.

I loved Ed and his band of worthless friends and his stinky dog, The Doorman. Ed is Lancelot on his own personal quest for The Grail. Hooray for all the screw ups in life!

RELEASE NOTES:

Given to MissTree to read and return to me when she's done.

Received this from Secretariat at yesterday's meet-up. Thank you! I loved The Book Thief, and this book by the same author looks quite promising as well!

I'll be sure to return it when I've finished!

I finished this book several weeks ago. I've been so very busy over the holiday season. Sorry about not journaling sooner!

I Am the Messenger is about a young man, Ed Kennedy, who's just your average underacheiver who lives with his good friend, canine companion the Doorman, drives a cab, and hangs out with his equally underacheiving friends. Suddenly, Ed's life gets turned upside down. First, he and his friends are customers as a bank gets held up by a completely inept bankrobber. Ed inadvertently saves the day and becomes a minor hero of sorts. Then, playing cards, aces with messages begin to turn up. Each ace bears three addresses. It's for Ed to figure out what he's supposed to do at each address. It's clear, though, that he's to help someone at each address in some way.

I loved this novel! Many of the missions that Ed was sent on were poignant, and each was so meaningful. I also enjoyed seeing Ed grow along the way. I really began to like and care about him.

Another exellently written YA novel by Markus Zusak. I'd highly recommend this book for its well-drawn, believeable characters, its interesting, fresh plot, and its perfect mixture of sentimentality and cynicism.

*note* As I was reading along, I was horrified to notice that the spine had cracked almost to the point of loosening some pages! (Honest, I'm very careful of books that others lend me!) Secretariat has already been made aware of the situation. This book is still readable, so I will go ahead and pass it along to Alsgal, who expressed an interrest in it!

This book has been mended. The crease is still visible on the spine, but I believe (and hope!) that the pages should hold. I am returning this to Secretariat later today. I apologize for the long delay! I spent so much time debating whether it was in a good enough condition to return it to her.

This book has returned home to its original owner. :-)

It was great to see you today, Secretariat!

Back home again, kindly repaired very well by MrTree.

RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to MaryZee. Enjoy.

Wow, that got here fast - west coast to east in 4 days at media mail rate!

Thanks for sending this to me Secretariat. I'll pass it along as a RABCK when I finish with it.

What a wonderful writer Zusak is. He writes the most compelling stories that seem to be modern fables, almost. I loved his book, The Book Thief (may even have to re-read that one again). I know his books are all written for young adults, but these are still enjoyable for adults, too.

The main character in I Am the Messenger is Ed Kennedy (I actually used to know someone by this name, but he hasn't been a teenager for about 50 years ;) Ed is a very ordinary teenager, someone with minimal ambition, just walking thru his life without really having any impact on others around him. A very forgettable sort of fellow. Then one day, his life takes a turn away from the ordinary when he foils a bank robbery. After this, he becomes a celebrity of sorts. And his life is never dull again as he starts receiving these mysterious playing cards which each contain a list of 3 items. And his task is to first determine what they mean, and second, what he is to do about it. As he works his way through all the aces, he thinks his game is almost over. And then he comes to the end of the story, with the joker.

It amazes me that Zusak is so creative with his story (this one and The Book Thief as well). He uses unusual devices in the story to keep these tales much more interesting and creative that your usual run-of-the-mill story. Fascinating - wonder what else he has in store for his readers.

Thanks so much for sending this to me, Secretariat. I'll soon be RABCKing this onward. I know there are quite a few BCers who'd like to read it. And the repair job seems to be holding up well, too.

6/14/08 - Mailed to CinnyCat. This is my 21st release in the 2008 Keep Them Moving challenge.

thanks for sending this wishlist book as an RABCK, MaryZee! I really appreciate it! I loved The Book Thief! I will journal again as soon as I read this!

Protect the diamonds
Survive the clubs
Dig deep through the spades
Feel the hearts

"I ask you:
What would you do if you were me? Tell me. Please tell me!
But you're far from this. Your fingers turn the strangeness of these pages that somehow connect my life to yours. Your eyes are safe. The story is just another few hundred pages of your mind. For me, it's here. It's now. I have to go through with this, considering the cost at every turn. Nothing will be the same. " - page 89

Out of all the books I read, why are the young adult books the most honest, brutal.. and usually the ones that make me cry? Well this one didn't make me cry, but Zusak's Book Thief did. I did love the story of Ed. It was nice to see "worthlessness" addressed in a book written for young adults. I also love that Ed was bookish. I could tell right away how bookish when he described a football player as being as big as Mama Grape. "Who?" "You know.. from that book.. and they made a movie out of it. Don't you remember? Johnny Depp?" Zusak is crafty by mentioning the book first just to show how bookish Ed is. I loved the book 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' and the movie. I also love that he was annoyed with Wuthering Heights for the same reason that Wuthering Heights wasn't PERFECT for me (otherwise I loved it but the way Joe the servant's speech was written was confusing. It was a nice "me too!" moment) Anyway, I was surprised at how Australian Messenger was compared to The Book Thief. (Obviously The Book Thief had no reason to be Australian, being a book about WWII.) But it just surprises me that a writer can switch styles so easily (yet I know Zusak is Australian.) The only thing I didn't like was the ending.. I don't think it wrapped up well enough.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sending to Gzusgirl! Enjoy!

So excited to be getting this book! I loved The Book Thief and have been wanting to read more by this author. Hip hip hooray!