I Am the Messenger: Proving That Anyone Can Make A Difference

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak tells the captivating story of a young cab driver's journey as he learns the secrets of life and discovers his own potential. Despite his utter hopelessness and insecurity at the beginning of the novel, by the end Ed Kennedy will have witnessed a series of mysterious events that show him the beauty of life and ways that he can help others.

My sisters and I have always bonded over our love of reading, so one Christmas my oldest sister gave me four books that she had read and loved. I Am the Messenger was among those recommendations. I went into the novel with very little knowledge of what it would contain, and I was very pleasantly surprised! The novel was captivating and relatable, while also communicating an inspiring message. The only issue that I have with the novel is the ending, so beware that spoilers may follow.

Writing Style

Zusak approaches this novel with his typical engaging writing style. The novel is structured as a sort of comedic mystery. Following a theme based on playing cards, the tale is divided into five sections based on various suits and a joker. The beginning of each part includes a mysterious image of a playing card with cryptic messages written on them, which draws readers in and raises questions that make it impossible to put the book down until answers are provided. The fun chapter titles and thought-provoking content of each chapter combine to create an immersive world that readers won't want to leave.

Plot

At 21-years-old Ed Kennedy believes that he will never become anything more than a failure and a background character in his friends' lives. Everything changes when he begins to receive playing cards in the mail with abstruse messages written on their surfaces. These cards typically lead him to an address of someone struggling and in need of help. Through these missions, Ed learns the realities of the world around him and the ways that he can be valuable in society by helping others. The novel is eye-opening and sparks questions of what we could all be doing to connect with and help lift one another up. The novel comes full circle as Ed delivers the playing cards back to the people that he helped and shares a moment of reflection with each one. However, the big reveal of who orchestrated the entire mission was a bit disappointing. It turns out that the mastermind was not a friend or family member of Ed's, or any kind of relevant character at all. The intriguing mystery basically led up to the revelation that there was never much of a mystery at all. The man who sent out the cards informs Ed that he is the author, or in other words Markus Zusak himself. He tells Ed that he wrote and planned everything, and hands him a folder to prove that every word of his life is written inside of it. Considering that a huge part of the fun of the novel was trying to figure out who was behind it all, the ending was quite confusing and anticlimactic to me.

Characters

The characters are a fundamental part of this novel. Ed's character development is astounding to witness. He transitions from a burned-out, self-proclaimed "incompetent" cab driver to a valuable member of his community who overcomes his own anxiety in order to be a light to others and help them through their various trials. The individuals that he is sent to help symbolize various issues that any human could be facing silently at any moment with little to no support. They show that someone could be facing a personal battle that no one knows about at any time; therefore, it is important to spread encouragement and be there for one another as often as possible.

Despite the overall impactful themes and messages of the book, at its core it is a simple and hilarious story following a young man as his life turns from ordinary to extraordinary. It features a lazy dog who loves coffee and loyal friends who can always find time to play cards. There is no shortage of excitement, mystery, and friendship in I Am the Messenger. If you are looking for a fast-paced mystery laced with humor, this book would be the first that I would recommend!