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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/893132.I_Am_the_Messenger?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="I Am the Messenger " border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1179247207m/893132.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/893132.I_Am_the_Messenger?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">I Am the Messenger</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11466.Markus_Zusak">Markus Zusak</a><br/><br/>
  <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9243033?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
  rating: 3 of 5 stars<br/>Okay.  So I read quite a bit of young adult fiction.  This author is from Australia.  You get to read Australian slang.  There is mild language in this book.  I also do not know if I would want my daughter to read this until she is older- meaning out of high school.  I must say that I am a bit of a prude and a censor.  I don't like to imagine my daughter reading about the details of a boy's thoughts.  He describes his desires for certain women.  I know boys do this, but that is what imagination is for.  This book is about Ed.  He finds himself, and maturity, by helping others overcome their own personal hurdles in life.   
<br/>
<br/>I enjoyed the ending to this book very much.  I just don't necessarily like how the author got there.  This book won "Book of the Year" in Australia.  I am just a bit puzzled.  I do think this book is a decent read, but there are plenty of problems as well.  I can't say that the book is predictable.  It is an original story with a good message, but the story didn't always "flow" easily from page to page.  I also think Ed figured out his clues rather quickly.  Yet, I wouldn't have wanted it to take any longer either.  I am glad the book just moved along or I may have cheated and skipped to the end!  I think the story wasn't always believable.  It was a story that teaches a lesson- a bit forced, but necessary to get the point across.  
<br/>
<br/>Zusak has a "cool" writing style.  He breaks a lot of grammar rules.  Many authors do this now, but I felt his writing was sometimes annoyingly abrupt.  I like paragraphs to be a bit longer so that it doesn't feel like I'm reading a telegram.  The book was in first person- like a journal.  Don't expect much description of landscape and such.  You won't get anything here.  This is a simple quick read of how a "boy," of about 20, becomes more significant in this world by being of service to others.  The message is an admirable one so that's a good thing!  Do I believe some person would go to such lengths to teach someone like Ed a lesson?  Not necessarily.
  <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/548519?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Rebecca's review
rating:
bookshelves: young-adult
recommended for: older teens

Okay. So I read quite a bit of young adult fiction. This author is from Australia. You get to read Australian slang. There is mild language in this book. I also do not know if I would want my daughter to read this until she is older- meaning out of high school. I must say that I am a bit of a prude and a censor. I don't like to imagine my daughter reading about the details of a boy's thoughts. He describes his desires for certain women. I know boys do this, but that is what imagination is for. This book is about Ed. He finds himself, and maturity, by helping others overcome their own personal hurdles in life.

I enjoyed the ending to this book very much. I just don't necessarily like how the author got there. This book won "Book of the Year" in Australia. I am just a bit puzzled. I do think this book is a decent read, but there are plenty of problems as well. I can't say that the book is predictable. It is an original story with a good message, but the s...more Okay. So I read quite a bit of young adult fiction. This author is from Australia. You get to read Australian slang. There is mild language in this book. I also do not know if I would want my daughter to read this until she is older- meaning out of high school. I must say that I am a bit of a prude and a censor. I don't like to imagine my daughter reading about the details of a boy's thoughts. He describes his desires for certain women. I know boys do this, but that is what imagination is for. This book is about Ed. He finds himself, and maturity, by helping others overcome their own personal hurdles in life.

I enjoyed the ending to this book very much. I just don't necessarily like how the author got there. This book won "Book of the Year" in Australia. I am just a bit puzzled. I do think this book is a decent read, but there are plenty of problems as well. I can't say that the book is predictable. It is an original story with a good message, but the story didn't always "flow" easily from page to page. I also think Ed figured out his clues rather quickly. Yet, I wouldn't have wanted it to take any longer either. I am glad the book just moved along or I may have cheated and skipped to the end! I think the story wasn't always believable. It was a story that teaches a lesson- a bit forced, but necessary to get the point across.

Zusak has a "cool" writing style. He breaks a lot of grammar rules. Many authors do this now, but I felt his writing was sometimes annoyingly abrupt. I like paragraphs to be a bit longer so that it doesn't feel like I'm reading a telegram. The book was in first person- like a journal. Don't expect much description of landscape and such. You won't get anything here. This is a simple quick read of how a "boy," of about 20, becomes more significant in this world by being of service to others. The message is an admirable one so that's a good thing! Do I believe some person would go to such lengths to teach someone like Ed a lesson? Not necessarily....less

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