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Messenger Of Fear

(Messenger of Fear #1)

Michael Grant (Goodreads Author)

3.68 · Rating details · 5,189 ratings · 786 reviews

I remembered my name – Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, faced with the solemn young man in the black coat with silver skulls for buttons, I could recall nothing else about myself.

And then the games began.

The Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can ...more

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Paperback, 320 pages

Published September 1st 2014 by Hardie Grant Egmont

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· 5,189 ratings · 786 reviews

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Oct 07, 2013 Jack marked it as to-read · review of another edition

AUGUST. THAT'S ONLY A FEW MONTHS AWAY

I CANNOT FUNCTION RIGHT NOW

How's The Messenger look? DOES HE HAVE A CAPE?

(Really hoping he does)

I NEED THIS BOOK LIKE I NEED FUDGE IN MY LIFE

...more

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Aug 14, 2013 Mike rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Original review, written before the book was released (preserved because Michael Grant himself liked it):

Messenger of Fear is going to be about a teenage boy delivering copies of the fifth book in the Gone series to people. A little... pretentious for its author to write about that, don't you think?

(Just kidding - I have no idea what this is about, but it's going to be awesome.)

My new review:

Whatever compliments you might give to Michael Grant's writing, he is not a subtle author. By any extent ...more

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Jun 02, 2014 Melanie rated it it was ok

Shelves: bleh, could-have-been-so-much-better, death, fantasy, paranormal, young-adult, f-a-i-l, mystery, books-i-own, arc

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Back from my hiatus but alas, the first book I read just had to be a disappointing read .-.

I think it's quite apparent that Messenger of Fear is a polarising read. I haven't actually read anything by this guy before, so I wasn't absolutely sure what to expect--what I knew was that his Gone series is crazy popular--so I hoped that this one would be just as amazing. Perhaps, it is just as amazing as his Gone series but clearly this book is not my cup of tea.

A g ...more

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Jan 25, 2016 Dylan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

You know your a dedicated fan when you add a book to your to-read list before the title is released

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Feb 25, 2014 Annie marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: female-pov, 2010s-release, fantasy

HOLD IT RIGHT THERE.

How did I not know about this until now?

This is going to be awesome.

Except for the fact that it comes out in September. I keep getting freaked out about all these books coming out in the fall because I'll be in college and I have no idea how much library access I'll have.

...more

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Jun 02, 2014 Christina Anastasia Stavridi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, favourite-young-adult, best-all-time-books, heartbreaκing-sad-emotional, ya, ya-fiction

Oh.My.God. This was so...so...Yeah,you get the point.Most of you haven't read this yet so I'be carefull with spoilers.

The plot is about Mara a girl who wakes up surrounded by strange mist with no memories and meets a strange young man who calls himself Messenger of Fear.

The fiction part of the story was truly amazing (I was mesmerized by the strange and scary new world Michael Grant introduces us to) but what I really loved was that this book has at its center REAL-LIFE problems mixed with the ...more

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Apr 30, 2017 Dannii Elle rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantastic-fabrications

I was anticipating great things from this book after reading the warning for sensitive readers that adorns the back cover. I like my fiction dark and both the cover and the synopsis promised to deliver that.

This is the tale of Mara. The reader is introduced to her through her entrance into a dream-like phase of her life, where fantasy becomes reality and the rules that govern our world are continually broken. Both Mara and the reader are equally as disturbed and confused by the events occurring ...more

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Oct 08, 2017 Carly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, horror

This book was so weird that it was really good! Michael Grant is king of the peculiar.
Summary: Mara wakes up one day with no memory of who she is, where she came from, and how she got there. All she knows is her name. To make matters worse, she is visited by a dark haunting boy who calls himself the Messenger of Fear. Not only is Mara enthralled because of his dark looks and mysterious past, but he can also stop time, time travel, read minds, and conjure up a strange green mist that seems more m This book was so weird that it was really good! Michael Grant is king of the peculiar.
Summary: Mara wakes up one day with no memory of who she is, where she came from, and how she got there. All she knows is her name. To make matters worse, she is visited by a dark haunting boy who calls himself the Messenger of Fear. Not only is Mara enthralled because of his dark looks and mysterious past, but he can also stop time, time travel, read minds, and conjure up a strange green mist that seems more monster than mist. Mara soon learns that she is to be his new apprentice, and that Messenger's job is to visit those who have gone unpunished for their crimes. He offers them a game: win and they go free, lose and they will have to live out their greatest fear.
I definitely didn't expect this book to be as dark as it was, but surprisingly, I didn't mind it, and at at times i really enjoyed it. Going into this book, I assumed it would be a Christmas Carol type of story, but boy was I wrong. There was so much originality to this story, that I can't even compare it to anything else out there. It is wholly original, and I loved every minute of it. There were times where I laughed, cried, and yes, cringed, but it was all a part of the reading experience.
It's quite a short book and a quick read. What I really loved about the writing was that it had an almost poetic style to it and beautiful but terrifying metaphors. The descriptions of the monsters were my absolute favourite. They were so warped that I wanted to put my hands over my eyes, but couldn't. While they were scary, they were also intriguing and so abstract that I couldn't look away from the words on the page.
I was totally shocked by the ending. We finally learn Mara's identity at the end of the novel, and the reveal is earth-shattering.
My favourite character is definitely Messenger. His cold stoicism yet covert strength makes him a very intriguing character. If there was one person's head that I would like to enter, it would be his, though I suspect it would be a very dark terrifying place and I may not come out unscathed.
I highly recommend this book for readers who want something a little bit different in their fantasy or contemporary reads. The writing is beautiful, the characters are amazing, and the story sticks in your head for weeks afterwards. ...more

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Aug 10, 2014 Stuti Rai rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: hot-like-meh, fantasy-pr-everything-untoward

Take your *insert whoever* to work day, is it???

Because, it seems, that's all Michael Grant deals with in Messenger of Fear. Our protagonist is introduced to a great deal of passive torment, and then some she herself doles out.

That is all there is to this book. All you need to know. And as such, the story doesn't really make much progress from the initial point. Just lessons learned, I guess? Who the fuck cares "aboot" that?

The tale is narrated to us in the voice of an amnesiac teenage girl who ...more

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Jul 29, 2013 Stella marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Edit
The Cover is errr...Not the best.

I don't care what this is about, I need it. ...more

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Jun 28, 2013 Braiden rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars.

Many people know that Michael Grant is my favourite YA writer, mostly because of the characters and themes he imbued into the Gone series. But unfortunately, unlike Gone and BZRK (which I have read and loved both in their entirety), Messenger of Fear did not have any characters that I liked. Maybe it was because most of the cast were spectral beings. Also, as it wasn't until the final chapters of the book when we actually got some answers, these characters had big question marks floati ...more

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May 15, 2018 Siobhan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Michael Grant is an author who has caught my attention on many occasions. More than one of his series have whispered a ‘read me’ in the book store, yet I always found my attention pulled elsewhere. With how big a fan base Michael Grant has, however, I decided it was finally time for me to dive into his work. Thus, when I saw the two Messenger of Fear novels on offer, I decided to take the leap.

In reality, Messenger of Fear is more of a three-point-five-star rating rather than the three-star rati Michael Grant is an author who has caught my attention on many occasions. More than one of his series have whispered a ‘read me’ in the book store, yet I always found my attention pulled elsewhere. With how big a fan base Michael Grant has, however, I decided it was finally time for me to dive into his work. Thus, when I saw the two Messenger of Fear novels on offer, I decided to take the leap.

In reality, Messenger of Fear is more of a three-point-five-star rating rather than the three-star rating I gave it. Mostly, this rounding down is a reflection of my reading mood recently – most books have been rounded down rather than up, as nothing seems to be blowing my mind in the way I have been hoping for. Such is the case with Messenger of Fear, it is why I decided to round it down – even though I found this to be enjoyable, I had been expecting more from it than I was given.

If the truth is to be known, I read Messenger of Fear much quicker than I’d anticipated. A couple of hours passed and I was done, ready to pick up book two. It was a much easier read than I’d expected, one that had me turning the pages throughout. Clearly, based upon how quickly I managed to finish this one, I did enjoy it. I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d been hoping I would.

My main issue is that the story didn’t quite have the depth I had been hoping for. The concept was interesting, watching the story unfold was fun, but it never went as deep as I would have liked. I was left with far too many questions, too many things I felt were not explained as well as they could have been. The whole story was focused around one element that was obvious from the start, and I feel as though we sacrificed world building to focus upon unravelling a very clear mystery.

Don’t get me wrong, what world building we had was enjoyable. I will be honest and say I was surprised by how dark and gritty the book was, though. I love dark and gritty books, and this will never rank within my top ten, but it contained more than I’d expected from a young adult novel. In fact, I was rather surprised by the details that were given. This one certainly goes further than many young adult novels out there, to the point where certain details could almost have me forgetting I was reading a young adult novel.

Overall, this was enjoyable – even if it wasn’t quite to the level I had been hoping for. It left me more than willing to dive into the second book, especially as I was left with many things I wished to receive more of. ...more

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Jan 06, 2015 Rayne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, school-life, can-i-get-my-hours-back, mythology, paranormal, disappointing, no-sequel-for-me

Messenger of Fear is basically what you would get if Hot Topic and an After School Special had a baby: from the obvious, cliched bullying, to the seemingly philosophical realization that, *gasp*, there's both good and evil inside all of us, and right down to the tight, faux leather clothing, the crazy and totes rebellious colors for hair and cosmetics, tattoos and the cheesy skull buttons in a black, long, Goth jacket, because why not? That's how creatures of the underworld/otherworld/whatever-t Messenger of Fear is basically what you would get if Hot Topic and an After School Special had a baby: from the obvious, cliched bullying, to the seemingly philosophical realization that, *gasp*, there's both good and evil inside all of us, and right down to the tight, faux leather clothing, the crazy and totes rebellious colors for hair and cosmetics, tattoos and the cheesy skull buttons in a black, long, Goth jacket, because why not? That's how creatures of the underworld/otherworld/whatever-the-hell-this-mythology-is-supposed-to-be dress, right? When they sign up for the job, they are automatically given a 40% discount on all of their Hot Topic purchases, otherwise, they wouldn't be creatures of darkness.

photo tumblr_mds1sxxdtC1r4gei2o1_400_zps2pcklina.gif

Grant tried. He did put in a commendable effort in making this more than just the pseudo-philosophical, cliche, stilted, predictable mess it was, but, in the end, this book barely goes over the 200 page mark by being pointlessly long-winded, taking itself too seriously, trying to teach "valuable lessons" about the nature of humanity, and stretching what little is there of a plot that feels like the prequel to the actual story. Basically, the plot of this first novel is what authors nowadays reserve for 30+ page overpriced novellas on Kindle that promise to "explore" the world and the characters before delivering the actual story. What Messenger of Fear does is set the stage, introduce the reader to this world and this needlessly convoluted mythology through a blank slate of a main character with a very predictable story and forced, grating and stilted narrative voice that's supposed to convey the profoundly philosophical dimensions of good versus evil and everything that's in between (hint: us humans) but instead is at once boring and cheesy and definitely trying way too hard.

photo tumblr_msmaogYkIN1srjep0o1_500_zpsga0nmpy7.gif

The story in this novel is so unstructured, so simple in basically every aspect except for the pointlessly convoluted and nonsensical mythology they tried to push in towards the end, that it ends up being kind of painful. It jumps back and forth between a couple of different, textbook bullying situations in the hopes of prolonging what little plot there is and giving new dimensions to the good and evil theme (hint: us humans, we are both good and evil, you're welcome), but it gave the novel a feeling of disjointedness. It didn't feel like it was that way on purpose, but rather because there were only about 15 pages of actual plot and they needed to pump all the filler they could into this novel to inflate it into an acceptable 200+ book, regardless of how messy, jumbled and loose the whole thing ended up being. I will give it this, the novel certainly has a good atmosphere, and I'm pretty sure that's about the only reason I made it to the end.

This is the first novel I read by Grant. I know the guy's a very popular author, so I was expecting something that lived up to that reputation. But Messenger of Fear is so pedestrian and banal, so simple, I have a hard time reconciling the image of an experienced, beloved and best selling author with this product. The novel is not terrible, hence the two stars, and it's certainly not one of the worst books I've ever read, but the book is so unremarkable, so mediocre, it left close to no impression at all. I'm making fun of the novel, but, honestly, I barely remember it all and it's only been about a week since I read it. This was not a creepy novel full of horror and the nuanced exploration of humanity I was promised. This book struggled to be at least engaging for 200 pages, let's not even talk about actually being fun, and being creepy and nuanced and introspective and horrific was entirely out of its reach. I don't know if this is just Grant's trademark style or if it is just one weak novel in a line of brilliant novels, but I'm really not interested in finding out. There was nothing in this novel that made me want to come back to this world or this author. It was far too ambitious in its premise for what it actually delivered and it was capable of delivering. Messenger of Fear is predictable, slow, disjointed and trying too hard, ultimately a weak offering in basically every single aspect. ...more

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May 31, 2014 Diamond rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-arc, 2014-releases, own, magic, favorites, ya, favs-4-blog, fantasy, ya-series-i-love, thriller

Full Review on my blog @ Dee's Reads

One of the genres I rarely read are thrillers; but a thriller with a supernatural element? Messenger of Fear had me interested because of the unusual braid of genres and the really cool cover (I love that color blue). I guess it doesn’t take much for me to step out of my comfort zone. Add a little of a genre I tend to love and a color-pleasing cover and I’ll try you out! But seriously though, I’m so glad I did.

“Yes, Mara,” he said with a sense of finality, as Full Review on my blog @ Dee's Reads

One of the genres I rarely read are thrillers; but a thriller with a supernatural element? Messenger of Fear had me interested because of the unusual braid of genres and the really cool cover (I love that color blue). I guess it doesn’t take much for me to step out of my comfort zone. Add a little of a genre I tend to love and a color-pleasing cover and I’ll try you out! But seriously though, I’m so glad I did.

“Yes, Mara,” he said with a sense of finality, as though now we could begin to understand each other, though I yet understood nothing. “I am the messenger. The Messenger of Fear.” It would be a long time before I came to know him by any other name. -Loc 229

Michael Grant is a pretty well-known author when it comes to thrillers and such in young adult. I’ve never read any of his books before but did recognize the name because I see it around on Goodreads and in bookstores and stuff. That sort of thing really doesn’t influence whether I request/download the eARC, but after reading this book I can understand why he’s a popular author.

Messenger of Fear started off really good and I remember thinking, “this is an amazing premise for a book. If it delivers, it will be fantastic.” Although it wavered at times, the ending was so strong I definitely feel it fulfilled it’s ambitious premise of a supernatural thriller that kept me guessing until the end.

What was I guessing about? So here’s the thing, let me tell you a little bit about the book (don’t worry—no spoilers!) We open with Mara waking up in a coffin. Of course a pleathora of questions are spued forth by her, is she dead? Is she alive? What happened? Why can’t she remember anything? While we don’t get clear cut answers, she does figure a few things out pretty quickly. She meets “the Messenger.” He’s a mysteriously handsome guy who is the only one that can see and talk to her. Slowly she is shown the life, death, and in between of a teenage girl named Samantha Early.

Full Review on my blog @ Dee's Reads
(Sorry but I couldn't copy the whole thing, computer problems!) ...more

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Nov 25, 2014 Nicola rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I was looking at Michael Grant's Wikipedia page and was shocked to discover that he has written over 150 books. That's right, one hundred and fifty. How is this the first book of his that I have read?! Where have I been?

I don't normally read a lot of supernatural fiction. That means I don't necessarily know all the ins and outs of what makes a fantastic supernatural book. What I do know is that Messenger of Fear is a crazy, weird and creepy story that intrigued and captured my imagination from ...more

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May 30, 2014 Sarah Elizabeth rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, r2r-complete, netgalley-edelweiss, read-2014, as, death, paranormal, young-adult

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

I have to say that I didn't really enjoy this book, although I appreciated the twist at the end.

Mara was an okay character and what she was going through wasn't very nice. I couldn't really relate to her though, and even by the end of the book I didn't really like her, if anything I liked her less.

The storyline in this was a nice idea, but the execution was just off for me. ...more

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Oct 05, 2014 Jacquelyn rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Ughhhhh... so confusing and I skimmed most. I did not like this one! I will not be continuing on with the series.

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Aug 01, 2014 Paul rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: People who: have read Grant's past work, want a quick bit of fantasy.

Shelves: series, fiction, fantasy, horror, arc

I was given a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinion of this book nor the content of this critique in any way.

3 1/2 stars

"He is not indifferent, that's the thing. His too-near voice that seems always to be whispering in my ear is held to a standard of cool detachment, but his eyes and his mouth and his forehead and the way he swallows all speak of reflected pain."

The opening installment to Michael Grant's new series seems largely a routin ...more

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Oct 11, 2013 Jessica (The Psychotic Nerd) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: covers-blueness, books-i-own, series-books, pov-girl, hall-of-awesome-4-stars-or-more, harper, read-multiple-book-series-by-author, released-in-2014, read-in-2014, school-year-2014-2015

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd

MY THOUGHTS
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, mostly because I loved Michael Grant's Gone series, but I also thought that this sounded like such an interesting book!
I was sort of mislead, though, because I was under the impression that this would be at least a little bit scary. But, no, it's about teaching those who've done wrong a lesson. I was okay with this. I actually thought it had a very intriguing idea. Basic ...more

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Sep 16, 2016 Gabrielle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: i-have-reviewed, i-didint-like-or-it-was-ok, completed-series

This book was unlike anything I've ever read and it was super interesting but it kind of fell short for me this is just a quick review.

Characters: i didn't feel connected to any of the characters the messenger i feel should've stayed ominous and mysterious that would've been a better approach. Mara was okay but rather boring i didn't care for her much. Oriax and Daniel were kind of unnecessary. i did like the other characters in the mini story lines i liked meeting each one but again i didn't fe ...more

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Aug 16, 2014 Lisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

From what I've observed in the last few years, all YA novels can be categorized under three broad headings:

One. Paranormal Romance. That's your typical novel, the Mortal Instruments, the Twilights, the Vampire Academies. The genre is saturated with these.

Two, the realistic or non-paranormal literature more often than not with their share of the romance, things like the Hunger Games, the Fault in our Stars, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.

And Three, my favourite and least common, science ...more

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Aug 09, 2014 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I really liked the whole concept behind this story but sadly the writing style kept me from truly enjoying it as much as I had hoped I would.
I think because of the synopsis and this being my first Grant book, I was expecting a little too much and we all know what can happen when we go into a story expecting something and not getting it. It makes it hard to plow through and really enjoy what is happening in it and connecting to the characters like we need to.

Instead of getting into the story I fo ...more

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Feb 18, 2016 Alexander rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

AAAAAHHHHHH It's so far away... ...more

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Aug 01, 2018 Kari rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, for-review, audiobook

For the most part, I enjoyed the book.. It was a quick read and I didn't call the ending. I will admit to being confused in the beginning, but if you stick with the story, it mostly makes sense in the end. I may read Tattooed Heart sometime in the future. I have some questions that may be answered in the sequel. It is a bit gruesome in some parts as it details a suicide, so I would probably keep it to the older YA crowd. ...more

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Dec 19, 2014 Rashika (is tired) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2015, urban-fantasy, arc, decent-female-leads, would-have-blown-my-mind-but, good-male-leads, totally-worth-it, touchy-issues, ya, mythology

When I finished this book, I had no idea how to rate it. I have no idea whether it was amazing, or meh or just plain old likeable and I think the reason for that is because while it deals with so many interesting things in such interesting ways, it also seems a little flat at times. Not as intense as one would imagine a book like this to be. But let me define what I mean when I say ‘a book like this’.

This is a book that deals with the idea of handing out justice. It deals with things like bully When I finished this book, I had no idea how to rate it. I have no idea whether it was amazing, or meh or just plain old likeable and I think the reason for that is because while it deals with so many interesting things in such interesting ways, it also seems a little flat at times. Not as intense as one would imagine a book like this to be. But let me define what I mean when I say ‘a book like this’.

This is a book that deals with the idea of handing out justice. It deals with things like bullying and the affects it may have on a person. This book isn’t some silly little fluffy book, as it’s size might suggest. It’s actually pretty fricking serious and the problem I think was that even though it’s a serious book, I never took it as seriously as I should have. I was horrified but not in the way I *should* have been given the seriousness of the issues at hand.

Mara is an interesting character and I liked her. I predicted her role in this before hand and wasn’t surprised given the few details we got about her. Once my doubts were confirmed at the end of the novel, they definitely made some aspects of the story incredibly interesting.

Mara could be a little annoying when she refused to see the Messenger’s side of things but it was understandable. On top of that, I liked how even though she spend some time telling herself that this was all a dream, when it became evident that it actually wasn’t, she accepted the truth no matter how much it frightened her.

The Messenger was perhaps my favorite character. I am not sure what role he will play in the future instalments besides being a mentor figure but I liked getting glimpses into his character. We know he’s been doing this for a long time and at the same time, despite all the cruelty he dishes out or has to observe, he retains his humanity. He has a reason to hope. He has a reason to believe in himself and for that reason I cannot help but like him.

Before you all get excited or disappointed, so far, there is not even a hint of a romance and I am not sure I want that to change. I mean, the Messenger, at the moment, seems to be dedicated to someone else and I don’t know how one could possibly change that. Having said that, I definitely think they could be a great couple. So really, it’s all up to the author at this point and we can just stay here and wait for stuff to happen.

I adore the world Grant has built. I absolutely love some of the mythological aspects that were added but at the same time, we’re only teased with certain details of the world. The world building is very basic with us finding out very little aside from what we need to know for the story to make sense. It upsets me that we didn’t find out more but at the same time, I think Grant is saving the best for the next books considering how this book was about Mara adjusting to the world.

The plot wasn’t rah-rah amahzing but at the same time, I liked the moral ambiguity of what they were dealing with. What is justice really? Who should be avenged? Who should have to pay? Is there a way to separate ‘good’ people from the assholes? It explores all these kinds of ideas. One of the main stories dealt with a girl who killed herself as a result of excessive bullying and while the storyline wasn't perfect, I think Grant did a great job of dealing with certain issues.

I guess my main complain would be that in spite of everything that this book has going for it, it’s lacking some sort of ‘oomph’ factor, something that makes this book memorable instead of ‘just another book’ I read this year and I guess that’s why it’s so hard to rate the book.

If you’re wondering if this book was worth the hype or if you’re just curious, I’d say give it a shot even if you have doubts. It’s short and quick and you won’t regret it.

[This review was originally posted on Nick's Book Blog ] ...more

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May 30, 2014 J. Greene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I can totally see how Michael Grant has written a crap load of books. It's clear this man has some talent, and a bunch of crazy ideas living inside of his head--which I must admit, after reading, Messenger of Fear--I think it's a creepy place.

Messenger of Fear was eery to say the least. It felt like I was reading this book with a shadow sitting over my shoulder. I could be wimpy or just easily scared but this book gave me goosebumps--at least for some parts of this book. Some parts of this book I can totally see how Michael Grant has written a crap load of books. It's clear this man has some talent, and a bunch of crazy ideas living inside of his head--which I must admit, after reading, Messenger of Fear--I think it's a creepy place.

Messenger of Fear was eery to say the least. It felt like I was reading this book with a shadow sitting over my shoulder. I could be wimpy or just easily scared but this book gave me goosebumps--at least for some parts of this book. Some parts of this book were easier to read than others, while some parts, made me shut my eyes in fear. Mission accomplished I suppose. I'm not really the horror loving girl I used to be, but Messenger of Fear reminded me why I liked it at all, in the first place.

Messenger of Fear is a story about a girl named Mara. At least that is the name she remembers. All she knows is the young man with the black coat, and nothing else. He is the Messenger. He sees the darkness in the hearts of the young. He sees the potential for evil, and it's his job to inflict justice/punishment. They can play a game. A game that will either let them live free, or face their worst fears.

That really does sound kind of like okay, not really all that scary. But it is. Because the game is no tic tac toe, an X and an O won't save you here. The games are far deadlier, scarier, eerier. I think the games were the scariest part for me--without giving anything away, it's not a game you or I would want to play.

I think what makes this novel so genius, was not Grant's obvious innate ability to creep me out, but his genius in creating this plot, this story, these characters. Sure, this is a book about fear, and it's scary, it's spooky. But, there is a major life lesson nestled in between the pages of this book. I think he dabbles with something far more serious than appears at the surface. And I think that's what resonated with me, it made the story real.

I really wound up enjoying this book and I was tempted to call it quits because, well, I was a scaredy cat that didn't want to be frightened. I don't want to scare you guys, because I'm sure it won't be as scary for some. But there's something about it that sat with me in a weird, scary way.

In spite, or in addition to that--I definitely feel like this a worth while read. I never read anything quite like it before, and it deserves credit just for being so unique, in a genre that's sometimes hard to be.

I get the complaints about the book but I think it's far better than I imagined but maybe my expectations weren't high. I don't know, but to each his own. I enjoyed it. Isn't that what truly matters? ...more

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Aug 16, 2014 Sarah Churchill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: received-for-review, arc

I didn't really know what to expect from The Messenger of Fear, but it wasn't this. It's very cryptic but never boring, philosophical but also brutal (and at one point pretty gruesome). Something about this book reminded me of Hellraiser, if Pinhead had been into philosophy.

A perfect Halloween read, I'm really glad I picked it up this month. The only downside for me was the big finale, which I saw coming from very early in the story because there were just too many clues to ignore. I wish it cou ...more

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Jan 04, 2018 Shannon ✨ rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was a really, really, really weird book.

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Jul 25, 2019 Amber rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: librarybooks

Mara wakes up only to find out that she is stuck in limbo with the mysterious Messenger of Fear who makes her witness other people who gets punished for their sins. Can she survive? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good YA horror story. If you like stories that scare you, be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.

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Sep 21, 2014 Christy (TheReaderBee) added it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-science-fiction, ya-paranormal, read-in-2014, e-arcs-to-review, young-adult-fiction, ya-fantasy

I was super curious to read Messenger of Fear, as I’ve not read anything by Michael Grant before, but I’ve heard many good things about his books. Messenger of Fear was definitely an interesting read.

Mara has no memory of how she came to be an apprentice of The Messenger of Fear, a young man who dresses in black and can see the darkness that brews in even the purist of hearts. When someone does goes unpunished after they’ve done something wrong, The Messenger of Fear will track them down, and of
I was super curious to read Messenger of Fear, as I’ve not read anything by Michael Grant before, but I’ve heard many good things about his books. Messenger of Fear was definitely an interesting read.

Mara has no memory of how she came to be an apprentice of The Messenger of Fear, a young man who dresses in black and can see the darkness that brews in even the purist of hearts. When someone does goes unpunished after they’ve done something wrong, The Messenger of Fear will track them down, and offer them to play a game that they can’t possibly refuse. If they win the game, they are free to go. If they lose, they have to live out their greatest fear. But how did Mara end up with The Messenger? Read the story to find out!
I was curious throughout the whole story as to why Mara was with The Messenger. What had she done that was so bad? Could it have been so bad, considering that she was a pretty likeable character? She couldn’t remember anything at all, so throughout the book I was trying right along with her to figure out what exactly was going on, and at times, this was pretty frustrating.

The Messenger was really mysterious. He doesn’t actually talk much during the book, but the more you read the story, the more you get to know him. What an awful job to have as the Messenger; to have to see all of the terrible fears of the wrongdoers, while also bringing justice for the wrong that they had done. The job sounds both terrible and rewarding. I’m looking forward to getting to know more about the Messenger as the series progresses.

While Mara’s story is the main part of the novel, there are also three other stories that are intertwined in the pages. These stories show just how evil some people can be in life, and it’s sad to see just how evil they can be. To be honest, some of these stories were really difficult to read, and I felt bad for what each of these secondary characters had to go through. It was heartbreaking at times.

The storyline for the book was very fast paced, as well as engaging. I read this book in just a few short hours; it definitely held my attention. The storyline was super creepy, and in some parts, very disturbing. It’s interesting how the storyline includes bullying and the repercussions of bullying someone. I always hope when reading a book like this that some kid will read the book, and will reconsider ever bullying someone. That is my hope, anyways.

Overall; my first experience with a Michael Grant book was definitely interesting. This novel kept me guessing as I turned the pages. I’m curious to read the next book in the series when it is released.

Happy Reading!

...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA-Girl/Bully watches as others face tests/punishments for wrongs they've done. [s]	4	23	Sep 16, 2020 07:19PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Messenger of Fear series - Starting April 29th 2017	7	9	Apr 30, 2017 02:07AM
Bookreads :): Messenger of Fear	1	1	Jan 09, 2016 11:25AM
Good Horror Books?	2	8	Sep 12, 2015 08:01PM
SEQUEL?!?!?!	3	18	Jan 06, 2015 12:50PM

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About Michael Grant

Michael Grant

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Co-author with Katherine Applegate of Ocean City, Making Out, Summer, Animorphs, Everworld, Remnants, Eve and Adam.

Pseudonymous coauthor with KA of Christy (the TV spin-off books), Sweet Valley Twins, Girl Talk and various Disney spin-offs.

Pseudonymous author of Barf-O-Rama.

Author of Gone, BZRK, The Magnificent 12, Messenger of Fear, Front Lines, Monster and A Sudden Death in Cyprus.

AKA Michae ...more

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Messenger of Fear (2 books)

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Quotes from Messenger of Fear

“The fool says 'I never intended to kill. I meant only to wound.' But I tell you that if you prick a finger with a poisoned thorn you may not claim innocence when the heart dies. Do not plant a weed and pretend surprise when it grows to strangle your garden. For, I tell you that hate is to kill, for from hatred grows death as surely as life grows from love. Therefore do not nurture hatred, but love, even for those who hate you in return. Hatred wins many battles, and yet love will triumph.” — 8 likes

“Guilt is a parasite on the soul, a worm that begins small and grows, grows, feeding on every moment of fleeting happiness. It stabs at you when you laugh. It cuts when you recognize beauty, receive affection, experience joy. It reminds you at the very worst moments that you have done wrong and are not worthy of happiness.” — 0 likes

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