The Book Nook

A Winning Loser Ed Kennedy’s life is about to change.  Drastically.  Maybe that’s a good thing because Ed himself feels he doesn’t have much going for him.  His time is spent driving a cab, losing to his buddies at cards and talking to his coffee-drinking dog. He’s admits he doesn’t have much of a future and doesn’t care enough to change his boring, routine life.  Relationships with his buddies are either touchy or superficial, his own mother insults him and he’s in love with a girl who prefers they stay “just friends”.  None of this helps his self-esteem. Boredom is about to become a thing of the past when Ed inadvertently stops a crime.  He enjoys his fifteen minutes of fame and then a strange thing happens.  One day he opens his mailbox to find an ace of diamonds marked with three addresses and times.  He’s not sure what he’s supposed to do with this information and has no idea who sent the card.  One friend’s theory is that Ed should take some kind of action at the appointed time and place. That’s the start of “I am the Messenger”, an award-winning book by Markus Zusak.  The problem is that it’s up to Ed to figure out the messages and how to deliver them.  Unfortunately, he’s far from ambitious and is torn about what to do. As the story progresses, he faces situations that vary from heart-warming to dangerous.  He will be challenged in ways he never imagined and isn’t sure he’s up to the task.  After working out what needs to be done, he’s pleased with how he handles the three missions and discovers the joy of helping others.  But his work isn’t done.   A second ace arrives accompanied by an unsigned letter convince Ed he must continue in his messenger role “or else”.  The implied threats are ample inducement, much to his displeasure. To say much more would spoil the plot.  I will say this humorous book has a lot going for it – realistic (and sometimes raw) dialog, Ed’s occasionally fragmented narrative and a playful writing style.  The author has put thought into his characters, who are unpretentious. Some readers have complained about a few things such as Audrey being a “no-maintenance” character or (spoiler alert) the fact that the mysterious card sender is never revealed to Ed or to us.  A few felt the happy ending was gimmicky but sometimes a happy ending is needed in life.  That’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself. One of the story’s highlights is the characters, who can be funny or frustrating, depending on who it is.  One is Ed’s foul-mouthed mom who has a rocky relationship with her son.  There’s Marv, Ed’s friend who resents any negative comments about his junky car.  There are people we can find common ground with here and plenty of humor. For me, cynical elements are balanced by sentimental ones and there’s a nice build-up of suspense.  There’s action and romance mixed in with a bit of existentialism.  I felt the first-person voice worked well for this story and couldn’t imagine any other narrative style.  The book’s five sections were divided into the four aces and a joker, which was an interesting touch. Ed is not your typical protagonist and almost seems more of an anti-hero.  He’s not always likeable, especially at first.  But as he gains empathy for others, readers will find him more appealing as he moves from couch potato to someone who makes a difference in others’ lives. You may know Zusak as the author of “The Book Thief”, an enchanting historical novel that is still his most popular work.  He’s an award-winning Australian author of several books and the first three were published internationally.   For parents wondering about the suitability of this book, there is swearing although it isn’t excessive and mature young readers shouldn’t have any problem with the premises.  The idea of improving one’s own life by helping others sends a great message.  There’s also food for thought delivered in a forthcoming way.  I’d recommend parents trying it for themselves first as it can certainly hold the attention of adults. Normally I’d say the short sentences and sections make it a fast read you can pick up and set down.  And don’t miss the opening lines.  If the author intended them to grab a reader’s attention he certainly succeeded.