BOOK NAME: I Am the Messenger
AUTHOR: Markus Zusak

Ed Kennedy has nothing going for him… nothing at all. Living in a dirty shack, he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and is devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. Ed works as an underage cab driver and plays cards on the weekends with his friends… losing at every game. His life seems to have no meaning, until he unwittingly stops a bank robbery. From there he is different.

“Protect the diamonds, survive the clubs, dig deep through the spades, and feel the hearts.” These are Ed’s instructions. Ever since Ed received an ace in the mail he became a messenger. Ed had a choice, to care or not to care. Choosing to care, Ed followed the instructions helping, caring, and hurting people. Whatever the card wanted him to do.

This book had the common story line of the character’s life changing due to something that occurred, but it came in an unusual form. I’ve never read anything that had to do with playing cards like this one. I enjoyed the personality of Ed and his pathetic friends, Marv and Ritchie. One of the little things I liked about this book was that the author included what Ed thought the Doorman (his dog) was thinking when certain things happened.

There were some things in I Am the Messenger that I wasn’t comfortable with, as the book was in the teens section. However, the story was so great, I am going to read his other book, The Book Thief!