I Am the Messenger—But what is the message?

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak is a fun, yet poignant novel about a young man finding his purpose. Our protagonist is a nineteen year-old cab driver named Ed Kennedy. When we first meet Ed, his life is not going very well. He is stuck in a dead end job, he has fractured relationships with his family, and he has good friends, but they are sort of trapped going through the motions in the same way that Ed is. Then one day a mysterious card arrives on Ed’s door, an ace of diamonds and his life changes forever.

The reader follows Ed as he “protects the diamonds”, “survives the clubs”, “digs deep through the spades” and “feels the hearts”. Ed learns some powerful life lessons and his story and those involved on his journey are heart-warming. I don’t want to say much else about the plot because it all hinges on the mystery of who is sending Ed the cards (or does it?...hmm).

Girls will have fun traversing the clues Ed is given and trying to solve his mystery alongside him. I also found the character of Audrey very interesting. Audrey is one of Ed’s best friends and the object of Ed’s affection. Unfortunately, she does not return his affections (or so she tells him). Audrey is interesting. She could have been another girl-on-a –pedestal character, but Zusak does a good job of shaping her character. She is flawed and has a bit of a wild/flighty tendency, but Ed drops hints that she had trouble in her past and her own comments suggest that she is a broken soul that wants to mend, but just isn’t quite ready to yet. The way she pushes Ed away because she cares about him too much is an emotion that I think a lot of girls are familiar with.

Parent/Teacher Advisory: There are some briefs discussions about sex, but nothing super explicit. It is most just Ed pinning for Audrey (teen boy drama). Also, there are a couple of scenes of violence. Ed’s mission requires him to do some things that would normally be considered too violent, but I think the novel does a good job of showing the consequences of violence to counter-act its usage in the novel.

Overall Recommendation: I Am the Messenger is a lovely story. Ed is a witty and insight narrator and it is fun to follow him on his journey. The clues are great. It is like solving a new puzzle with every new playing card. Some of the messages might be a little cheesy and the hearts section might be a little obvious, but sometimes you need a story like that. You need a story that makes you believe in the small things in life, the small moments where you can make a difference. Ed learns this lesson and many more. I’m sure girls will benefit from Ed’s tale and hopefully find some inspiration for their own lives.