I am the messenger
markus zusak
Markus Zusak is the author of 5 books including The Book Thief. I am the messenger was nominated for a Michael L. Printz Award in 2006, a Los Angeles Times Book Award in 2006 and a Bluegrass Award in 2006. It also won 2003 Australian Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award and the 2003 NSW Premier’s Literary Award.
I am the Messenger is a realistic fiction novel about a cab driver named Ed who begins anonymously receiving playing cards in the mail with messages written on them. Ed must figure out what the words mean and what he must do, and ends up changing the lives of many people, including his own.
Realistic fiction can include many different subjects including "survival, the search for identity, the roles of family and peers, growing up, animals and sports. The tone of the story can range from serious and tense to humorous and even outrageous" (Vardell pg. 144). Ed finds his identity in the novel. In the beginning he is lost within himself; his father was an alcoholic, he isn't in school and really has no idea what he's doing with his life. When talking about himself he says "No real career. No respect in the community. Nothing" (Zusak pg. 14). At the end of the novel he has gained more of a sense of who he is, what he wants, and the impact he has on other people. With realistic fiction, the character's "emerging self-knowledge" is very important regarding character development (Vardell pg. 158).
The novel is both humorous and serious at different times. The conversations between Ed and his friends are usually humorous and the beginning chapter where they are being held up at a bank and are talking back to the robber is funny. However, there are serious situations. For example, Ed gets beaten up on a few times throughout the novel. He also helps a family whose father is sexually abusing the mother while the daughter is witness.
The novel is both humorous and serious at different times. The conversations between Ed and his friends are usually humorous and the beginning chapter where they are being held up at a bank and are talking back to the robber is funny. However, there are serious situations. For example, Ed gets beaten up on a few times throughout the novel. He also helps a family whose father is sexually abusing the mother while the daughter is witness.
Mystery is a subgenre in contemporary realistic fiction. Mysteries "emerge as a very popular choice with children in the middle grades who are stretching their problem solving skills" (Vardell pg. 147). The mystery in this novel is compelling. The reader wonders where these playing cards are coming from and why Ed was chosen for the tasks.
Professional Reviews for I am the messenger:
- Voice of Youth Advocates: "Ed's journey into secret lives is so emotional and intellectually challenging that older readers will enjoy the trip."
- School Library Journal: "Zusak's characters, styling, and conversations are believably unpretentious, well conceived, and appropriately raw. Together, these key elements fuse into an enigmatically dark, almost film-noir atmosphere."
Video Interview with the author
Zusak, M. I am the messenger. New York: Knopf, 2002.
ISBN 978-0-375-83099-0
$6.32 at Barnes & Noble
Work consulted: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008.
Author photo from randomhouse.com