Book #19

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

 360 pages

 

I've been holding out for awhile to read this. The Book Thief, when I read it for the first time about 3 years ago, blew my mind. I now consider it one of my favorite books of all time. So much so, that I've been refusing (to myself, because let's face it, no one else cares) to see the movie because I just know it will be WRONG. Just so wrong. I like how The Book Thief is in my mind. I don't want someone else's version of it.

 

I Am the Messenger hit me in a similar way. It kind of wows me still that people can do such amazing things with words. Just words! I love that. Zusak is definitely one of those word-makers.

 

Ed is a 19-year-old cabdriver, and he's not much else. His roommate is an old dog named The Doorman, and he has a few good friends who are pretty much in the same rut as he is.

 

After being a witness to a failed bank robbery, Ed finds his life starting to change. He starts getting playing cards sent to him with addresses, names and clues on them. He uses the cards to find people and help them out in little ways -- sometimes, his little bit of help means a big difference in people's lives.

 

I loved the message of paying it forward, and also discovering your true self. I'm not sure if this is considered "YA" like The Book Thief was, but I could have also seen me loving this book if I had read it 10 years ago when I was in high school.

 

Very good!

 

But no, I wouldn't watch the movie version. :)

 

Next book: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney (my summer time ritual is getting caught up on The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, OK????)