I Am the Messenger

Ed Kennedy is the epitome of mediocrity. His younger brother has gone off to university; he stays home and becomes a taxi driver. His sisters are both married and have kids; he is single and lives with his dog, the Doorman. He lives his monotonous life, never reaching for anything, always finding excuses, ways to deal with his hopelessness, especially when it comes to his love for his friend, Audrey. Then Ed receives the first ace. Three addresses, three people. It appears that he has been chosen to care for the people on the cards, even if in the process he hurts them. As he works his way through each ace, the deliberateness of these addresses makes its way into his mind. Who is sending him these cards? And why did they choose him?

I liked Zusak’s fourth novel mostly for the messages it carries more than any other aspect. With each person or family Ed helps, it seems that he gains more life, more character, though the conflict isn’t always clear and the characters don’t seem all that strong. And each message is like its own story, as a single person finds himself caring for another person’s story rather than his own. A theme like that is worth remembering, and I believe that it was carried off extremely well, and more than a little lyrically.

There were a few things that bothered me about the book, though. The ending, first of all, seemed a little too deliberate. No, there will be no spoilers--but the number of deus ex machina used within this book is enormous, and this might have subtracted slightly from my opinion, though the deliberateness of the use of this element did make the book easy to follow. This, combined with a few cheesy statements, served to make the book, at least for me, a bit of a dragged-on narration. On top of that, I felt that Ed and his friends weren’t really well-characterized, except near the end. Everything appeared to be superficial when it concerned them.

However, that lack of characterization fits perfectly into the the theme of potential versus expectation, and so turns out to be a good thing. Ed’s friends--and Ed, for that matter--learn that they can reach for something more, if they try. That discovery causes them to think more of themselves, and therefore they become stronger characters. Following that line of thought, it could be argued that they were never really flat to begin with, as their own secrets and stories were present before they were revealed.

Another thing I really liked--and I’ve noticed this in all of Zusak’s works I’ve read so far--is that no detail can be deemed unnecessary. Every scene contributes itself to the story and relevant themes in a clearly defined manner, and every detail about a person is relevant to their character. Every dialogue serves to say something about a person, whether it’s a sarcastic attitude or a lighthearted facade. However, I think this may also lead to some of the more awkward statements, though there is something to be said for the use of the deus ex machina within the plot, which contributed greatly to the storyline itself.

This isn’t so much a coming-of-age novel, but rather a coming-into-oneself story. The self-discovery evident throughout this book is solid. Despite my own lack of interest, I would still say that it’s a good read with an overall positive message.

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Notes: I Am the Messenger was Markus Zusak's fourth novel. It was first published in 2002 by Pan Macmillan Australia under the title The Messenger. The version I read was paperback, published in 2006 by Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House.

Young adult fiction (though some places have it marked as Children’s fiction), 357 pages, first person point of view

Topics: Identity, kindness, friendship, respect, potential versus expectations, family

Publisher’s age recommendation: Unavailable (though I’ve seen it placed anywhere between 12+ and 12-17)

Warnings: Prevalent, blatant sexual references, and some brief talk of semi-graphic fantasies. Some violence (beatings), though it is not condoned. Strong implications of rape. Liberal use of drugs (smoking) and alcohol, and implication of substance abuse. Thievery, though this is not condoned. Liberal swearing and minor death threats aided by guns.