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    I Am the Messenger
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    I Am the Messenger
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    I Am the Messenger
    Audiobook8 hours

    I Am the Messenger

    Written by Markus Zusak

    Narrated by Marc Aden Gray

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    From the author of the extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller The Book Thief, I Am the Messenger is an acclaimed novel filled with laughter, fists, and love.

    A MICHAEL L. PRINTZ HONOR BOOK
    FIVE STARRED REVIEWS

    Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He’s pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.

    That’s when the first ace arrives in the mail. That’s when Ed becomes the messenger. Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who’s behind Ed’s mission?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 26, 2006
    ISBN9780739337301
    Unavailable
    I Am the Messenger
    Author

    Markus Zusak

    Markus Zusak is the award-winning author of The Book Thief and I Am the Messenger, both Michael L. Printz Honor Books. Markus Zusak's writing career began in high school, where he led a "pretty internal existence. . . . I always had stories in my head. So I started writing them." He lives with his wife and two children in Sydney, Australia, where he is currently working on his new novel Bridge of Clay.

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    Reviews for I Am the Messenger

    4/5

    1,993 ratings174 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Ed Kennedy is a cab driver in a small town in Australia. He foils a bank robbery and then soon becomes recipient of playing cards with names and addresses of lives he is meant to touch - as a catalyst for positive change. It's a bit sappy with some violent bits, but quirky and charming enough to be enjoyable. The reader has a lovely accent.
    • 4/5
      Ed Kennedy, a 19-year-old cab driver with not much more ambition to do anything else with his life, is plagued with anonymous playing cards with secret messages inscribed on them. Ed doesn't understand the meaning or the purpose of the cards, but he's willing to find out. This willingness sends Ed on a tumultuous ride in life.I Am the Messenger's theme, setting and interesting characters all contributed to my enjoyment. Hovering over Ed as he followed his instincts, and wondering where and why he was being lead to certain destinations was fun and engaging. However, the ending turned out to be a bit of a letdown. That put a damper on my final feelings of the book. One thing I loved, every time I heard it (audiobook), was the name of Ed's dog. What a clever name! Zusak has a unique voice in his writing that I enjoy. I will be happy to pick up another book by him. (3.75/5)Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..."
    • 4/5
      Not as brilliant as The Book Thief, but an earlier work, and a much easier read. Still has a nice thought provoking message.
    • 4/5
      I just finished rereading this book because I remember liking it, but couldn't remember the ending. After reading it again, I can honestly say it was well worth a second visit. The message is beautiful and Zusak does a great job delivering it.
    • 3/5
      A book completely different from The Book Thief; not just in the story, but the writing style as well.
      Ed doen't have much of a life and after he stops a bungled bank robbery the would be robber threatens him and his life becomes...um, interestingly different.
      His life before the robbery consisted of: driving a taxi, playing cards and drinking with loser friends and living with a smelly dog.
      Oh yes, and his mother thinks he'll end up just like his father, who was an alcoholic.
      But after the robbery, he starts receiving playing cards in his mail box with messages in code on them. When he tries to ignore them or doesn't follow through quite right, he receives threatening phone calls or worse.


    • 4/5
      I am reading Markus Zusak's books in order of publication. His first book I am struggling with, I am not really enjoying it. However this second book of his I think it really starts to show what I remember in The Book Thief. His writing just speaks to your soul. I really love how he can just make you feel what his characters feel (good and bad). If you haven't read this book I would recommend it!
    • 5/5
      This is probably the best book I've read all year (out of 18 books) as far as just prose goes. It's literature (non-genre). It's touching. Suspensful. Makes you want to be better, maybe?
    • 3/5
      It's not one of my favorites, but I could definitely see signs of the same talent that made The Book Thief into one of my favorite books, especially as it drew closer toward the end. I didn't find the characters here as compelling, but it was still an engaging read.
    • 4/5
      I just finished rereading this book because I remember liking it, but couldn't remember the ending. After reading it again, I can honestly say it was well worth a second visit. The message is beautiful and Zusak does a great job delivering it.
    • 3/5
      3.25 out of 5 stars. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting from this novel when I went into it. I wanted to read another Zusak's book, and the blurb really caught my attention, so I picked this one. Heck, I didn't even notice it was a yellow cab on the front cover until I started reading and found out that main character is a cab driver. I need stronger glasses apparently.In "I am the messenger" we have an array of amazing characters:-Ed Kennedy, main character, who is an underage cab driver, with no life ambitions, or accomplishment. He is also lousy at sex (he says so himself)! In the course of the book we see Ed become a pawn in some type of a game, which makes him a "messenger". The messages he has to deliver are all quite different from one another, but my favorite ones were the ones he had to deliver to Sophie, Milla, Marv and polonesian family (if you read the book already you will know what I am talking about). -Doorman. An amazing character, he is not what his name implies he is. He loves coffee. With lots of sugar and cream:) I enjoyed Doorman a lot.- Ed's three best friends: Marv (who is an anger driven cheapskate), Ritchie (who does NOTHING, literally) and Audrey (who would sleep with everything and everybody, except Ed). Despite their harsh characteristics they are all quite lovable. - There is also Ed's mum, who is the nicest person ever (heavy sarcasm).The whole book we see Ed "play" the game that he somehow ended up in. All he has for clues are playing cards with barely a few words on them. A very interesting concept I would say. Some of the clues were quite brilliant, some other ones came way too easy to him. "I am the messenger" is full of heartfelt situations, great humor and raw, everyday truths. Zusak's writing is quite phenomenal. It pulls you in, and keeps you engaged...till about last 20 pages. Because those last 20 pages ruined everything for me.The whole book is worth 5 solid stars, the last couple of chapters were a 1 little lonely star. Maybe I missed the whole big picture, or maybe I missed the actual message of the book. I don't know. But I feel like the book could have ended a couple of chapters earlier, and it would have been amazing then.
    • 4/5
      This would have been truly astounding if it weren't for the insanely weak ending. As I approached the end, I couldn't think of any way the book could end in a satisfying way. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that *no* proper ending would have been the most satisfying way to finish it off. Instead, we got a lackluster "Return of the King" it-keeps-not-ending ending.
    • 4/5
      Excellent book
    • 3/5
      This is another book that started off so great. It had me from page one, and the MC was so likeable and real, and the story was original. The ending...ugh the ending! I don't want to spoil it, but it is a pet peeve of mine and I think it's such a self-indulgent thing for an author to do. It seems like such a cop out.

      But the author completely redeemed himself by writing The Book Thief, IMHO.
    • 4/5
      A little preachy but like the writing.
    • 4/5
      Once again Markus Zusak wrote a great book that messed with my mind!!!So I had some problems getting into this book. I read around the first third and then set it down for 2 weeks. I don't know why I just wasn't in the mood for the story. But then I picked it back up and finished it in one night. I love it. I think the story is beautiful. Ed, the man who starts receiving these cards, starts to see the beauty in others and in life.My favorite was the family he gave new lights to. It shows just how simply you can impact others. And that is the same case with the ice cream cone. Ed did such simple acts, but they had such an impact on those people. I think it just shows how important being good to each is. *******Spoiler*******[ The ending was interesting. I am unsure if I wanted him to leave the cards a surprise or say who was sending the cards. It is revealed that is is Markus Zusak who is the one sending him the cards. I think it plays along into the theme. Like Ed not only impacted these people but he impacted us, he left something with the reader. That his story was the message meant for us. I like it because that is reading. Reading is ending a book with gaining something, and that is always different. But at the end of every story there is a message and the book is the messenger.]
    • 5/5
      Congratulations Markus Zusak! Another great story from such a talented writer. It starts with a bank robbery by a seemingly incompetent robber, foiled by Ed Kennedy,general under achiever in most areas of his life and owner of an aged, smelly dog called The Doorman. Ed stumbles his way, reluctantly at times, to complete the tasks set for him. He doesn't know why he has been chosen or by whom. He just knows he has to follow up the words written on the four aces delivered to him. Markus Zuzak is superb at evoking feeling with his words..."The fear has tied itself around my feet and I know there's nothing I can do........If I try to move, I will trip over it"."My heartbeat doubles. It tangles up inside".Easy to read, and hard to put down.I just wanted to keep reading.
    • 4/5
      This was a Santathing book from a few years ago that I finally sat down to read. First - I like the story. Ed is guy who is just coasting through life - he's got a few friends, a job as a taxi cab driver. He has no aspirations, no though on what what he wants to do. After stopping a bank robber, he gets a mysterious playing card in the mail. It has three addresses and times. No other information. When he does act on the card's information - it brings him into a world where he has to care.I liked the book. Its well written - Ed is a character who readers will empathize with, everybody has choices between doing nothing and doing something. This type of story can be over done, but Zusak keeps his characters on point, and always human. The book is also funny - the situations that to complete the mission are sometimes absurd - but also sad. The elderly lady who just needs some company, or the story of the wife with an abusive husband, they all tell a story that is greater than its parts.
    • 3/5
      A young man stops a bank robbery and ends up becoming the unwilling messenger when he receives playing cards with clues to his missions. Pretty good story, a bit beyond reality, and the ending seemed to me to be loosely put together.
    • 5/5
      This is the kind of book you read out loud just to hear the words on your lips.I went on an earlier tirade about doing lots of probably stupid and sappy and romantic(?) things involving reading this book to a lover and just contemplating the beauty and shit and I also swore a lot because what else do I do when confronted with something so awe inspiring.This is the kind of book that if I heard anyone say something bad about it, I would go into a furious rage and start spouting all of the reasons why they're wrong and why this is one of the best books to ever grace this planet, and there would be no convincing me otherwise. So I just avoid reading negative reviews and no one ever takes my reading recommendations anyway, so I don't really have anything to worry about.Except, please please read it.
    • 4/5
      A quirky light read that had me laughing out loud. Most enjoyable- well written and fun characters who I would love to meet. Highly recommended
    • 5/5
      In my opinion I am the Messenger is a better read than the Book Thief. Yes the ending is a little less than gratifying, but the fact that you got to the end is a testament to the quality of the rest of the book. It’s not the Book Thief so if that’s what you’re looking for, look somewhere else. If you’re looking for a book about a young man trying to find his place in a screwed up world, you’ve found the right place.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. Really funny too.
    • 4/5
      Amazing and extensive use of literary devices. Personification, metaphor and simile, yes, but richer than those, too. The author has an excellent eye for turning intangible actions and feelings into tangible actions and feelings using the aforementioned devices in ways most authors fail to do. I think this expressive writing is what hooked me the most in this book. Good literal literary twist at the end, too!
    • 5/5
      An interesting story
    • 4/5
      This is the story of Ed Kennedy, who starts getting playing cards containing messages after he thwarts a bank robbery. The cards change his life.

      I loved Ed. His voice is that of a disaffected 19-year-old who really has no illusions about his shortcomings, but maybe doesn't see his strengths as others might see them. Following the cards, and becoming the messenger, help him see a bit more clearly what is and what could be.
    • 4/5
      A compulsively good read, with well-constructed characters. As I was reading, I was gripped by the plot yet attentive to the prose and the structure of the story at the same time; hardly surprising, considering the denouement. I felt the resolution was a little pat, but otherwise this was an excellent book.
    • 2/5
      I read this book years ago, in high school.

      I hadn't read The Book Thief and I was interested to read one of his lesser-known books. I thought it was readable, and I was waiting for it to pick up or to build to something greater, but it didn't really. I liked it but I thought the book just felt a little bit flat to me.

      Since then, I have read The Book Thief and I have to say I think that's the stronger of his works. I really didn't connect with the main protagonist at the time and I don't remember him very much at all now.

      Such a shame because I know he can do great things, but this just wasn't the book for me.
    • 3/5
      Ed is a hapless 19-year-old who drives a taxi and has no ambitions beyond cards night and longing after a girl who won't have him. After playing a minor role in busting up a failed bank robbery, Ed begins receiving mysterious messages, written on playing cards. They are instructions, directing him to interfere in the lives of those around him. Some are harmless, but others will risk his life. Who is sending the messages and what do they mean? Why has Ed been chosen for these tasks and will they ever stop?

      Like many people, I came to this book after loving The Book Thief, and like that book, my appreciation for it comes not so much in the unfolding of the story (I found the litany of cards and tasks to be moderately tiresome), but rather in its culmination. Unlike The Book Thief, I found this one to be ultimately unsatisfying.

      I found Ed and his friends to be rather unlikeable, and thus I wasn't really emotionally involved in their development. I didn't even see that much character development in Ed. While he became the catalyst for positive change in everyone's lives, he never once took initiative for being the catalyst, and wasn't the moral of the story to take initiative? I have no faith that Ed will continue to engage in his community or act differently with his friends. All of their problems are solved: Marv has been reunited with his daughter, Ritchie is going to get a job, and Ed got the girl. The End.

      I was continually reminded of Jostein Gaarder's novels, with the playing card imagery, moments of characters being aware that they are in a book, and the final interaction between the author and the characters he has created. I was also reminded of Charlie in Perks of Being a Wallflower, who was also encouraged to "participate." In this case, though, both the author intervention and the message to *do something* seemed forced.


    • 4/5
      Sometimes I walk to that field and sink to my knees. I hear my heart beating, but I don’t want to. I hate my heartbeat. It’s too loud in that field. It falls down. Right out of me. But then it just gets back up again.

      Applause for Markus Zusak, for he has stunned me dumb and wordless not once but twice. This does not happen too often, because whatever I think can usually find its way out of my mouth in coherence. The Book Thief ripped my tongue off and all I felt capable of doing was making wounded-animal noises. That book is a story which holds precious characters who made my I like you full-bloom into I love you, I love you, I love you. It was an experience, and an emotional one that refuses to stop tugging at my itty heart. Given that Zusak’s 2006 best-seller is the only familiarity I had with his work, I felt expectant of few things:

      1. This is going to be good.
      2. The adorable Zusak style (in which sentences nail an idea so perfectly that my emotional state is flipped upside down and jerked all around).
      3. I will enjoy this.

      How much I’d enjoy this is what I questioned, because certainly nothing can do for me what The Book Thief does. To an extent, I think that book will always be my one forever Zusak-love, no matter how fond I am of another Zusak book. What I discovered in I am the Messenger goes beyond enjoyment. I found an uplifting story that inspires and instills confidence in humanity.

      Ed Kennedy, like many people I know, feels insignificant compared to the vastness of this planet and the accomplishments of other people. He likes to think he has and probably never will make an impact, because he’s Ed: a 19 year old never-has-been who lets his life trickle by on cab driving and routine card games.

      Constantly, I’m asking myself, Well, Ed—what have you really achieved in your nineteen years? The answer’s simple.

      Jack shit.

      But all of this soon changes, because Ed is also a man with a big, conflicted heart that pushes him to do a lot of good — even when he may not intend to. By accident, Ed stops a “useless gunman” from making a cash-loaded getaway. In doing so, he unknowingly sets his own future to collide into and twist around the lives of others.

      It is after the bank robber incident, after Ed is publicly declared a “hero” by newspapers, when he receives his first mystery card: the ace of diamonds. On it are written three addresses where he must deliver a different message to each, and some messages are not easily ascertained nor are they easily delivered. Some of these messages are difficult to bear, let alone communicate to the recipient. Others, however, prove less difficult, but all messages are equal cheer-rousers that show how a simple act can make the grandest mark. This one card is just a pre-cursor highlighting what’s to come, but it’s how Ed plants himself into other people’s lives and what he must do to help them that I find encouraging.

      I crunch through my cone and we stand up. I realize how stiff and sore I am from two nights ago at the Cathedral. Attempted murder will do that to you.

      Ed aside, Zusak has the ability to write his characters with a heart inserted into each one. They are palpable and real in every sense, because I can believe these are genuine people who undergo problems that we all stand a chance to experience. If just to add, it is also how these characters handle their problems and the circumstances of their situations. In I am the Messenger, this also extends into how deeply Ed sticks his head into another person’s life in order to understand and help – and it’s not only strangers Ed must get to know. He also must face his friends, which begs the question: how well do I know the people around me?

      I want to talk to him.

      I want to ask him about that girl and if he loved her and still misses her.

      Nothing, however, exits my mouth. How well do we really let ourselves know each other?

      Reading this book, I scrutinized the way I interact with strangers as well as people I know. The do-good aspect largely sits at the center of why I relish this story, because a number of bad events drop like bombs and, when pushed down far enough, it happens: people lose faith in people and in our ability to pay it forward. Not because we expect the same in return, but because it’s the ‘right thing’ to do.

      If there is one thing I found unsatisfactory about I am the Messenger, it is the one thing I am probably the pickiest with in all books: the conclusion. Those who have read this book might agree that perhaps it’s what needed to occur for one of the characters to heal. Audrey needed to allow herself to love and to be loved, and she does. Still, there is a nagging voice in my head that asks, “And how many guys ‘get the girl’?” I think it’s easy to foresee and I enjoy pondering the many possible alternatives instead.

      Moving this glitch to the side, I am the Messenger sat me at the protagonist's side as his life takes an unsuspected turn. Ed journeys down a foreign road that has its bumps and it bruises him along the way. In the end, what matters is what his journey amounts to. Ed touches the lives of complete strangers and those of his friends, all the while taking an introspective exploration of himself.

      At the start, Ed Kennedy is an average guy who blends into the background. He's the guy who becomes one more face you're prone to forget, but by the journey's end, Ed is a guy you remember. Ed grows, and as he does so, he inspired a little growth of my own.

      If a guy like you can stand up and do what you did, then maybe everyone can. Maybe everyone can live beyond what they're capable of.

      *Special thank you to Savindi from The Streetlight Reader, who sent this as a Christmas gift. It made a wonderful present for the holidays!

      This review and more can be read at Midnight Coffee Monster.
    • 4/5
      ?It's not a big thing, but I guess it's true--big things are often just small things that are noticed.?

      MARKUS ZUSAK, YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN.

      I loved this story to bits. Honestly, Markus Zusak can do no wrong.

      PS: Markus Zusak breaks the fourth wall in this book like a badass.