Book Review for I am the Messenger



Protect the Diamonds
Survive the Clubs
Dig deep through the Spades
Feel the hearts

***Note: those lines were courtesy of a Youtube book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TpVhL... ***

I've recently read The Catcher in the Rye and there's a really nice quote there that I really like and it's like this:

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though."

That quote simply states my feelings toward this book and this author Markus Zusak. Markus Zusak was such a good writer that I'd really wish that he and I are friends(^_^).

He's the type of person wherein sometimes I wish I could marry him and be the father of my babies.(Whut?) *kidding, I'm already married*

Okay marriage and babies aside, this book was really amazing though I still think that The Book Thief was his masterpiece. I am the Messenger is really different from The Book Thief that it was almost indiscernible that the same author wrote this.

I am saying that because totally the writing style was different.

The Book Thief:

"Hair the color of lemons,'" Rudy read. His fingers touched the words. "You told him about me?"

At first, Liesel could not talk. Perhaps it was the sudden bumpiness of love she felt for him. Or had she always loved him? It's likely. Restricted as she was from speaking, she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to drag her hand across and pull her over. It didn't matter where. Her mouth, her neck, her cheek. Her skin was empty for it, waiting.

Years ago, when they'd raced on a muddy field, Rudy was a hastily assembled set of bones, with a jagged, rocky smile. In the trees this afternoon, he was a giver of bread and teddy bears. He was a triple Hitler Youth athletics champion. He was her best friend. And he was a month from his death.

Of course I told him about you," Liesel said."

I am the Messenger:

"Sometimes people are beautiful.
Not in looks.
Not in what they say.
Just in what they are."

To put it simply The Book Thief has an odd writing style because the descriptions used by the writer is not common and he'd be like describing for example the hair is like lemons or feathers something like that.

While in I am the Messenger, Zusak was fond of using "One word sentences" or sometimes "Three-word sentences." He has a lot of paragraphs which only contains one sentence or sometimes one word. It seems to me that his writing here was a mix of simplicity and complexity because he'll just use a spare amount of words but if you try to look at it deeply it's not as simple as it looks like because it has a deeper meaning and message on it.

Another different aspect was the book genre.

The Book Thief: Historical-fiction
I am the Messenger: Contemporary fiction

And I'd like to say that Zusak was a YA author but his books are definitely different from the YA norm nowadays and it's the type of YA book that can be enjoyed by adults. And also Zusak was very different from a lot authors since he's not formulaic and he can even as I said before write in different writing styles and book genres.

Some points I want to add up:

1. The book is pretty much very Australian and I just want to say that somehow I like it that way because it is different, there are words and expressions used differently. Like for example instead of "Pharmacist" they used the word "Chemist" and "arse" was used instead of "ass."

2. The book has a very nice structure. It was divided into four parts which is the Diamonds, Clubs, Spades and the Hearts and we had an additional which is the Joker Suite. And each part was subdivided into chapters but we don't have that Chapter 1, 2 yada yada instead we have Aces to King Chapters.

3. The ending was really brilliantly plotted and I really like it. I really like how it ended. How Ed Kennedy will be able to know who's the one behind all of that messages and aces in his mailbox. The ending is very reminiscent to Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist because the answer(view spoiler)[was there right on the beginning of the book (hide spoiler)].

4. The book was phenomenal, Zusak's books have the ability to change your life or rather change your perspectives. It can always touch your soul and it just leave a beautiful mark and it was simply amazing how can he touch you with the mere use of words. For me he'll always be the master of language, he uses words very beautifully and just I'm a big fan. *Completely hands down*

"He makes me appreciate life more"
-Joyzi