Dietrick,+Amy

** I am the Messenger ** ** By: Markus Zusak Reviewed by Amy Dietrick **


 * Marcus Zusak **


 * Born on June 23rd, 1975 in Sydney, Australia
 * Most popular works are //**I am the Messenger (2002)**// and //**The Book Thief (2006)**//
 * Other works include //**Getting the Girl (2001)**// and //**Fighting Ruben Wolfe (2000)**//
 * Has one many awards for his works, including the Michael L. Printz award, the Kathleen Mitchell Award, etc.

** About the Book **

//I am the Messenger //was first published in 2002. The novel centers on the story of Ed Kennedy, a nineteen-year-old taxi driver who lives in a small house with his affectionate, coffee-drinking dog named the Doorman. At this point in his life, Ed is fully convinced that his future holds nothing in store for him. Ed’s life changes dramatically when he suddenly stops a bank robbery. Soon after this, Ed discovers his first message. He receives an ace of diamonds playing card. Written on the card are three addresses and times. Ed, feeling an obligation to respond to the message, visits the three addresses written on the card at the specified times. At each address, Ed witnesses horrific events. He later realizes that he has been chosen to prevent these things from occurring and give aid to the victims involved. Throughout the story, one questions consistently remains: Who has chosen Ed for this mission, and why?


 * Markus Zusak's Style **

 Markus Zusak has a very interesting and unique way with words. He writes with an amusing and seemingly sarcastic and dry sense of humor that is unlike the style of any other author. His choice of words and vivid, humorous descriptions of scenes, characters, and events leads to very detailed visuals and imagery in the reader's mind. One such description of a part of Ed's experience at the bank robbery is as follows:

"It's like being in school again, and your sadistic math teacher's barking orders at you from the front of the room, even though he couldn't care less and he's waiting for the bell so he can go home and drink beer and get fat in front of the telly."

Markus Zusak's novel also displays well-planned character development for the main character, Ed Kennedy. Before he is appointed to his mission as The Messenger, Ed is more concerned with himself and his own life and future than he is with anyone or anything else. As the plot progresses and Ed begins to complete the tasks appointed to him, he begins to develop into a more caring and understanding person. The tasks that Ed must complete teach him the error of his ways and help him to better understand himself and others. When the book is finished, the reader can easily trace the dramatic change in Ed's personality.

**Destiny Review**

//I am the Messenger // by Markus Zusak is the gripping and interesting tale of nineteen year old Ed Kennedy, whose seemingly uneventful life takes a dramatic turn when he is chosen by an unknown messenger to come to the aid of those in need. From beginning to end, I found the book to be very enjoyable, exciting, and hard to put down. Marcus Zusak's unique style and sense of humor add a special quality to the book, while the plot becomes very touching and almost heartbreaking as it quickly progresses. As the reader gets further into the book, they begin to relate to the realistic characters and understand their feelings and thoughts as if they were real. This brilliantly unique novel is one that I would without a doubt recommend to fans of popular fiction.


 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 190%;">Professional Review **

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">“Markus Zusak has a fine, whimsical way with words. Ed describes his friend: ‘Marv's the maestro of meanness with money. The prince of penny-pinchers.’ Another description gives us ‘...the silence of the street is swollen. It's scared and slippery as I wait for something to happen.’”

---Terry Miller Shannon, <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">// Teenreads // <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;"> <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 25.2px;">**Works Cited**

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">Zusak, Markus. //I am the Messenger//. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. Print.

Shannon, Terry Miller. //"Review: I am the Messenger."// Rev. of //I am the Messenger,// by Markus Zusak. //Teenreads.com.// Teenreads.com, 2009. Web. 25 May 2010. <[]>

Gaines, Ann. //"Plot Summary of I am the Messenger."// Rev. of //I am the Messenger,// by Markus Zusak. //Allreaders.com.// Allreaders.com, 2008. Web. 25 May 2010. <[]>

Pauley, Kimberly. //"It's in the cards..."// Rev. of //I am the Messenger,// by Markus Zusak. //Yabookscentral.com.// Yabookscentral.com, 2007. Web. 25 May 2010. <[]>