At first, i didnt know what to expect. I hoped it would be good, but the concept is so creative and different that it could go either way. It was slow and boring, but then things really started picking up, and this book became a touching, memorable one. I Am The Messenger is a brilliant book, filled with laughter and deep themes that can effect every single person who reads it. Each character is unique and relatable, and theres just something about Ed that makes you want to learn more about him. He's a great lead, your average british (Australian? Never really figured it out...) man, just a normal guy you could see everyday walking down the street. I love how he describes himself as a 'sexual midget' and all these other names that make him who he is. He is a great character, so fitting for this book. Markus Zusak is a great storyteller. He brings this story to life and adds humor to deep and dark topics and themes. Its simple yet so complex, at the same time. This is my first book of his and i will certainly be reading more of his work! There are great, true-to-life lessons and messages in this book, about how one person can change so much, or how one person could be hiding so much. (Not Ed, the characters in general). It really is a strong, engrossing book for young adults. Really, really great!

I picked this book up because of how much I loved The Book Thief. I wouldn't say that I was disappointed but this book just didn't move me in the way that that book did. It was still a good book and a better read then a lot of other things out there.

Great story about a young man going nowhere. When he commits a brave act, he begins receiving unusual messages that require him to alter the lives of strangers. The end didn't satisfy but that may be part of the journey.

I read this book because The Book Thief amazed me so much, and this novel did not fail to impress. It was absolutely incredible. Zusak has this uncanny ability to create characters that are so likeable! Not because they're crazily talented or smart or special, but just due to the fact that they are so ordinary yet oddly fascinating. They are beautiful.

Ed Kennedy is a slacker. He drives a cab, plays cards with his friends and wishes for a romance with his girl pal. He definitely has not reached his potential. All that changes when he inadvertently stops a bank robbery and becomes a hero. Thereafter, a set of aces arrive giving him clues as to what he is to do. These 'jobs' involve easy ones like befriending an elderly lady and reading to her to harder ones like stopping a man from raping and abusing his wife. The reader can see Ed evolve after each set of challenges. This is definitely not a YA book. At first, I found the book quite simplistic and wondered what was the point. I enjoyed the journey and the characters but really fell in love with the book at the last sentence when it all became clear.

Ed Kennedy just happens to be in a bank when a really bad bank robber holds up the bank. Ed manages to stop the robbery and is lauded as a local hero. Shortly thereafter he receives his first ace in the mail. An ace of diamonds with the name of three people on the card. Ed soon realizes that he must visit these people and bring them a message. Some of the messages are good, such as keeping company with an elderly lady and reading her Withering Heights. Some of the messages are bad, like it being suggested that he murder a man that rapes his wife every night. Ed knows that there are more cards coming and more messages that need to be sent and they get harder and harder with each card. This is supposed to be a young adult book but it sure doesn't read like one. The themes are more mature than what I would expect to see in a young adult. As soon as I started reading this, I was hooked. Even though Zusak uses a lot of short sentences, which doesn't always lead to a well written book, that's not the case. I very easily connected with the characters and couldn't put the book down to learn how Ed was going to help out each of his messages and which message he was going to give them. I like this book just as much as The Book Thief, which I also thoroughly enjoyed!

I read I am the Messenger about five years ago. And it has left a lasting impression on me. To this day, it's still one of the best books I've ever read. The lesson is amazing, and it's just so impacting. Everyone should read this book. Everyone.

This is the first book I'd ever read by Markus Zusak and I am quite glad of it. As others have said it was incredibly funny, the characters are people you can relate to quite easilly and the dialogue is witty and charming.I was immediatly drawn into the story and I enjoyed how the book was divided according to different aces and how the protagonist grew along the way. At times the story was cute, at other's tocuhing at at one point it brought a tear to my eye because the moment was just so beautiful.

I truly enjoyed this book and how easy it was to read. Real dialogue that made me laugh out loud on more than a few occasions. Great characters, superbly written and a truly original story. I will pass this one along to my older son, as I did with The Book Thief. Although I am still trying to figure out the ending, I highly recommend the book. I will definitely read his next novel. ***Personally I do not recommend this book to kids under 16 as there are many sexual situations.

Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver who spends his days playing cards with his friends, has conversations with his coffee-loving dog, The Doorman, and is hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is nothing special and doesn't seem to be going anywhere. But when he involuntarily stops a bank robbery, he starts receiving aces in his mail. On each card are three addresses or a coded message. Ed follows these locations and realizes that there are others whose lives aren't going anywhere either. And when he decides to help them, sometimes hurting himself in the process, he will discover that it's not the one behind his mission that's important, but the messages that he has to send. This was a heartwarming story about a boy who lives a repetitive life in a lonely, sad town with his crummy friends. But a simple push in the right direction can lead anybody on a mission that can change your life forever. Ed is a wonderful protagonist who can be easily related to with his easy going attitude, his odd friends, and his broken family. Zusak did an amazing job with portraying each character and their personalities. I found myself laughing along with them as I read their stories and occasionally even shedding a tear. Zusak can write so beautifully that it seems that every word on the page has multiple meanings. I absolutely love Zusak's ability to write in a way that can break your heart and warm it at the same time. This was a beautiful story about a man who discovers the meaning of life and the warmth that comes to you when you help people. The ending was a little odd though, but I guess that's part of the mystery to it all.