i am the messenger book review analysis

I Am the Messenger

Markus zusak, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Markus Zusak's I Am the Messenger . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

I Am the Messenger: Introduction

I am the messenger: plot summary, i am the messenger: detailed summary & analysis, i am the messenger: themes, i am the messenger: quotes, i am the messenger: characters, i am the messenger: symbols, i am the messenger: theme wheel, brief biography of markus zusak.

Historical Context of I Am the Messenger

Other books related to i am the messenger.

• Full Title: I Am the Messenger (originally published in Australia as The Messenger)
• When Written: 1999-2002
• Where Written: Sydney, Australia
• When Published: 2002
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Young Adult Fiction
• Setting: Suburban Australia
• Climax: Ed realizes a stranger has been dictating his entire life for the past year.
• Antagonist: The Man with the Cards, Ordinariness
• Point of View: First-person limited

Extra Credit for I Am the Messenger

The Parking Spot. Zusak first had the idea to write I Am the Messenger when he noticed a 15-minute parking spot outside a bank. He wondered what would happen if someone was parked in that spot during a bank robbery, thus leading him to write the first scene in the novel, in which this happens to the characters.

Good Dog. The main character’s smelly mutt is based on an actual Rottweiler/German Shepherd mutt Zusak knew. However, Zusak has said that the real-life dog only “stank about a quarter as much” as its fictional counterpart.

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I AM THE MESSENGER

by Markus Zusak ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 8, 2005

In this winner of the Australian Children’s Book Award for Older Readers, 19-year-old Ed Kennedy slouches through life driving a taxi, playing poker with his buddies, and hanging out with his personable dog, Doorman. The girl he loves just wants to be friends, and his mother constantly insults him, both of which make Ed, an engaging, warm-hearted narrator, feel like a loser. But he starts to overcome his low self-esteem when he foils a bank robbery and then receives a series of messages that lead him to do good deeds. He buys Christmas lights for a poor family, helps a local priest, and forces a rapist out of town. With each act, he feels better about himself and builds a community of friends. The openly sentimental elements are balanced by swearing, some drinking and violence, and edgy friendships. Suspense builds about who is sending the messages, but readers hoping for a satisfying solution to that mystery will be disappointed. Those, however, who like to speculate about the nature of fiction, might enjoy the unlikely, even gimmicky, conclusion. (Fiction. YA)

Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2005

ISBN: 0-375-83099-5

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2005

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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BOOK REVIEW

by Markus Zusak

IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.

Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

More by Laura Nowlin

by Laura Nowlin

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

IF ONLY I HAD TOLD HER

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.

In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me , three characters tell their sides of the story.

Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781728276229

Page Count: 416

Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE

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• I Am the Messenger Summary

by Markus Zusak

These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.

Written by Timothy Sexton

A Ford Falcon sits parked outside a bank in a fifteen minute parking spot and the clock is quick ticking toward the fifteen-minute mark. That’s because the owner of the cruddy old car and his friends—including narrator Ed Kennedy—are trapped inside a bank where a particularly incompetent robber is taking his sweet time. Finally, the robber is ready to make his getaway and demands the keys to the Falcon from its owner, Marv . Things move quickly and very weirdly from that point and before too the robber is proving himself equally inept at the skill of opening a locked door and there is a gun left behind on the sidewalk.

For reasons he can’t quite understand, Ed makes a run for it and picks up the gun, racing for the Falcon and pointing the pistol right into the face of the robber. Before too long, the Falcon’s windshield is shattered, the cops arrest the robber and the media turns nineteen-year-old underage aimless taxi driver Ed Kennedy briefly into a hero.

A few days the first mysterious playing card arrives in the mail with no return address. It is an Ace of Diamonds and contains three addresses with three different times of time day. Unsure of what the deal is, but driven for reasons he can’t explain to explore the great vast unknown, Ed goes to the first address to see what is all about. Nothing he expected might be there could exceed what is there: a first-hand eyewitness peek into a man raping a woman who turns out to be his wife. Ed, a coward at heart, turns around and goes home before trying another of the addresses. This one turns out be another peek into another life: that of a lonely old woman serving herself tea in her kitchen. Her name is Milla and she’s been waiting for a man named Jimmy to return for decades and Ed is easily able to convince he is that man. The third address brings him into contact with a young girl named Sophie with dreams of being a track star who runs barefoot every morning. The gift of an empty shoebox does not transform her into a winner in her races, but does endow her with a newfound confidence.

And so does it with Ed who decides to go back to the first house with a little less cowardice and a little more empowerment. Of course, the arrival of a gun with a single bullet in it through the mail doesn’t hurt, either. Ed doesn’t kill the rapist, but does threaten him and leave him with a choice of leaving town or worse. The rapist opts for the former.

The next playing card is an Ace of Clubs, but it does not arrive mysterious in the mail. Instead, one night he is confronted by two men wearing masks inside his apartment. They give him a beating, a letter of congratulations for dealing with the Ace of Diamonds and an Ace of Clubs on which is written a Confucius-like clue. As Ed goes about discovering the various missions that come his way via the playing cards, he is also longing with love from his friend Audrey who only sleeps with guys she hates because as a victim of sexual abuse she doesn’t want to associated sex with love. Ed confesses to her that he didn’t kill the rapist, but merely threatened him into leaving town.

Meanwhile, Ed’s missions to help others through the intervention ranges from something as simple as buying ice cream for a single mother he witnesses buy ice cream for her children but not herself to prove her struggle is appreciated to getting enough congregants to fill an empty church for a priest who eschews the good life of superchurches in order to actually amongst the poor to who he ministers to buying new Christmas lights for a family that decorates every year with broken ones.

The missions are not just helping others, but also helping Ed. He is beginning to see there can be a purpose to lie and that it makes one feel good to make others feel good. Then he winds up in a restaurant where his mother is on a date just six months after his father died. Even worse: she’s been seeing the guy since before his father died. The showdown is dramatic and hurtful as Ed learns just how big a disappointment he really has been to his mother and entire family.

The last Ace contains the titles of three movies and the movies have elements which all correspond to the name of his friends. (Roman Holiday stars an actress named Audrey, for instance.) Ed is terrified because he doesn’t know what darkness is going to be illuminated about his friends. This could lead to another rapist as easily as another barefoot track star, after all. As it turns out, Ed learns the real reason why Marv kept driving that cruddy old Falcon and was just generally miserly even though he claimed to have socked away thirty-thousand dollars in the bank. He also realizes that it is time to stop overlooking the even greater slackerdom of his friend Ritchie and confront him with the ugly truth of his life: he’s an absolute disgrace to himself. As for Audrey, he must confess at last his love her in an attempt to break through the wall she has constructed successfully obstructing her from men she cares about.

Riding high on that last success, Ed’s cab is hailed by a man who turns out to be the bank robber after having had Ed drive him around to each of the places in which he has carried out his missions on the cards. The robber instructs Ed to return to his home and when Ed gets there he finds a stranger who claims to be the man who send the cards. Even more astonishing is that he stranger claims to have constructed everything which Ed has gone through. He claims to have committed horrible acts and disrupted multiple lives and even ensure Ed’s ineptitude as a cabbie—all for the sake of proving that if someone as useless as he could rise to the occasion, live beyond his capabilities and be a force for good in the world, then anybody could. He even wrote it all down…even the conversation that is taking place right there in his apartment.

Days later, Audrey arrives at the shack Ed calls home asking if she can stay. Not just for the night, but for good. He picks up the folder left behind the stranger and begins flipping through it. When Audrey asks what he’s looking for, he say he is looking for where the stranger wrote down the part of his life taking place at that moment, there, when she arrives and they are together.

Later, he smiles, realizing that his role in all this craziness hasn’t been that of a messenger, but rather that he is the message.

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I Am the Messenger Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for I Am the Messenger is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

how does delivery the messages give Ed purpose

The meaning that Ed derives from his missions empower his newfound purpose. He has berated himself throughout the book as the “cornerstone of mediocrity” and is dedicating his future to shedding himself of the person he used to be in order to...

The stones:

What chapter are you referring to?

The Sledge Game is held in December, before Christmas.

Study Guide for I Am the Messenger

I Am the Messenger study guide contains a biography of Markus Zusak, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About I Am the Messenger
• Character List

I Am the Messenger Summary

How it all goes down.

Meet Ed Kennedy, a nineteen-year-old cab driver who likes playing cards with his friends… and that's about it. He doesn't really have any life goals or prospects, and no one expects anything from him. One day he's just minding his own business, when the bank he's in gets robbed—and though we'd be hoping the cops arrive soon, Ed instead decides to take matters into his own hands. Ed thinks it would be a great idea to pick up the robber's gun when he accidentally drops it on the way out of the bank. (Pro tip: Don't try this at home, Shmoopsters.) He then shoots at the robber, but misses and hits the getaway car instead. Ed's declared a local hero. He's also asked to testify against the bank robber, and when he gets to court, the robber threatens his life. Ed thinks he's pretty much dead anyway, considering the life he leads. Sigh. Ed returns to life as usual, but a few days later, he gets a mysterious package in the mail: it's an Ace of Diamonds with three addresses and times on it. He has no clue who sent the strange package his way, or any idea about what it might mean, but eventually Ed works up the nerve to check out the first address. And when he does, he gets the shock of his life: he finds a man raping his wife. Unsure of what he should do, Ed goes home. Not all the addresses are scary though—one is just a lonely old woman who needs a friend, and another is a fifteen-year-old who wants to run and Ed helps her find her step. By the time he's done helping the second two, Ed gets the courage to go back to the first house. He thinks about killing the guy, but settles on encouraging him to leave town and never return. Did we say encourage? We meant threaten. Ed begins to like the messages he gets because, well, it gives him something to do—aside from the messages, he still just plays cards and drives cabs.

As time goes on, Ed receives other aces (of clubs, spades, and hearts) in the mail with similar cryptic messages. He's sent to do all kinds of things for people, from buying an ice cream for a poor, rundown mom, to filling up an empty church for a cool priest. He buys new Christmas lights for a loving family, gets two brothers to stop beating on each other, and helps a movie theater owner with his old business. All in all, Ed's feeling pretty good about the work he's doing… until one of the messages hits close to home.

He's sent to an Italian restaurant where his mom is having dinner with some guy. Ed doesn't know what's more shocking: that his mom is all dolled up, or that she's moved on so quickly since his dad died six months ago. He confronts his mom and the two of them have a battle of words; it turns out she's been seeing this guy longer than six months, which really disappoints Ed. But that's not all. His mom tells Ed that he's such a disappointment himself. She wants him to get off his butt and do something for once in his life. It's a rough encounter to say the least.

Ed's last messages send him to see his three best friends: Ritchie, Marv, and Audrey. Ritchie's a pretty easy mission. He's a bum—and that's coming from lazy-bones Ed, so you know it must be true—so Ed convinces his friend to get out there and get a job. Next up comes Marv. Ed didn't know it, but Marv secretly has a two-year-old kid that he's never met, so Ed helps the two of them connect. Audrey presents the biggest challenge of all, though. Ed is in love with her, and he has to let her know. They dance for three minutes, but don't say anything. Later though, Audrey comes over and kisses Ed—message received.

Ed begins wondering who's sending these playing cards, and what the deal is. Then, one day, he gets an answer. He's just minding his own business, driving the cab around, when he picks up the bank robber from the beginning. He's already out of jail (six months later) and asks Ed if he remembers being threatened by him. Um… of course, dude… It's not something you exactly forget.

Then Ed thinks about how he's actually alive and living now, and doesn't want to die. The bank robber leads Ed to a man with a folder, and this random guy says he set the whole thing up because he saw how ordinary Ed was. He wanted to see if Ed could do something for others and, as it turns out, he could. Ed finally figures out that he's not the messenger—he's the message.

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I Am the Messenger Summary & Study Guide

I Am the Messenger Summary & Study Guide Description

"I am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak tells the story of a young man challenged by an unknown benefactor to become a better person by helping those around him. Through a series of assignments given to him on the aces from a deck of playing cards, Ed Kennedy learns to face his fears. He is able to rise above his feelings of incompetence as he helps others in areas where they need the help the most. Some of the messages that Ed receives are as simple as buying an ice cream cone for a struggling single mother while others put Ed in positions of real danger. At the conclusion of the novel, Ed learns that he is not only the messenger, but also the message as the man who sent Ed on his journey of self-improvement tells Ed he has learned that even an ordinary man can live beyond normal expectations.

Ed's journey begins when he becomes involved in a bungled bank robbery and helps police capture the robber by grabbing the robber's dropped gun and shooting at him. When Ed testifies at the trial for the bank robber, the robber threatens Ed, telling him that he is a dead man. A short time prior to this, Ed had received in the mail an Ace of Diamonds with three addresses and times listed on it. Ed becomes aware that he is supposed to help the people who are listed on these addresses. Through the course of the story, Ed works his way through all of the aces as well as the joker card. Those he helps include an elderly lady needing reassurance that she treated her husband right and a family who needs a new string of Christmas light to make their holiday bright. Ed is even called to give messages to his closest friends and family members.

Ed's last message, delivered on the joker card, is for Ed himself. During the delivery of this message, Ed learns that he is not only the messenger, but also the message as he shows the man who put Ed's entire journey into motion that people, even ordinary ones, can rise about their perceived abilities to make a difference in the world. Through his journey, Ed becomes more confident in his abilities and improves as a human being. Even Audrey, who is the love of Ed's life but has never allowed herself to love Ed, recognizes Ed's goodness as she finally gives in to his love. There is also a twist at the conclusion of the novel as Ed learns the identity of the man who has sent him all of the messages.

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I am the messenger, common sense media reviewers.

Lots of mature content in gritty tale; OK for older teens.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

This book is the winner of the Australian Children

This book explores the idea of how helping others

The main character is a slacker who lies about his

Several bloody beatings, threats with guns. A drun

Sex talk and sex fantasies, moderately graphic. On

Liberal use of swearing, especially "s--t.&qu

Smoking, drinking, drunkenness, alcoholism.

Parents need to know that this book is loaded with swearing and sexual references and fantasies. There are several bloody beatings, a husband rapes his wife, and characters smoke and drink to excess. But this well-written book, the winner of the 2003 Australian Children's Book Award for Older Readers, has a sweet…

Educational Value

This book is the winner of the Australian Children's Book Award for Older Readers. Readers will find themselves racing through this book -- and may want to read the author's other wonderful work, The Book Thief . Teens may have fun discussing the book's themes (Is it possible to change other people's lives for the better with simple acts? Is it possible to change your own?).

Positive Messages

This book explores the idea of how helping others can in turn help you.

Positive Role Models

The main character is a slacker who lies about his age to get a cab license. When he begins helping others, he finds new meaning in life -- and his relationships with his friends and relatives change.

Violence & Scariness

Several bloody beatings, threats with guns. A drunken husband rapes his wife.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Sex talk and sex fantasies, moderately graphic. One character has frequent sex with men she doesn't love, not described.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Liberal use of swearing, especially "s--t."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this book is loaded with swearing and sexual references and fantasies. There are several bloody beatings, a husband rapes his wife, and characters smoke and drink to excess. But this well-written book, the winner of the 2003 Australian Children's Book Award for Older Readers, has a sweet message: When the slacker protagonist begins helping others, he finds new meaning in life -- and his relationships with his friends and relatives change. Teens may have fun discussing the book's themes (Is it possible to change other people's lives for the better with simple acts? Is it possible to change your own?).

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (9)
• Kids say (24)

Based on 9 parent reviews

Promoting for kids???

What's the story.

Ed is a loser. His friends are losers. He drives a cab, lives in a shack, hangs out, plays cards, gets drunk. His dog smells. His mother despises him. The girl he loves doesn't love him back. That's his life, until the day he accidentally captures a bank robber who's an even bigger loser. He has his five minutes of local fame, and is happy to go back to his slacker life. But a few days later the Ace of Diamonds arrives in his mailbox, with three addresses and times written on it. At each address and time Ed finds someone in need of help, some fun (an old lady who needs some company), some harder (a brutal man who abuses his wife). As he continues to receive clues about other people, he finds that his view of himself, and his relationships with his friends and relatives, are changing, but a mystery remains: Who is sending him these clues, and why? And how does this mystery person know so much?

Is It Any Good?

When it's good, it's very good; this award-winning novel about a slacker whose life is altered when he starts receiving mysterious playing cards in the mail has glimpses of brilliance. Aussie author Markus Zusak has that down-under way of being relaxed and hard-edged at the same time, allowing him to deal with some serious subject matter in a way that's both light and powerful. He also has a way of making his slacker characters so intelligent and appealing that it makes the reader wonder just what exactly is wrong with a life lived small and free of ambition. The resolution to the big mystery of who is sending the cards reads as if Zusak just couldn't figure out how to get out of the hole he'd dug for himself, so he just slapped this on. But if you can ignore the last 10 pages, this is a terrific, at times moving, and thought-provoking story that can lead readers to look at their own worlds in a slightly different way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the author and his work. Markus Zusak also wrote the award winning book The Book Thief . I Am the Messenger is also an award-winner, having earned the Australian Children's Book Award for Older Readers. Why do you think Zusak's books appeal to critics and award committees? Does it make any difference to you if a book is well reviewed or wins awards?

Many reviews -- including this one -- criticized the book's ending. Why do you think so many reviewers found it disappointing? What did you think about it? Would you change it? How so?

Book Details

• Author : Markus Zusak
• Genre : Contemporary Fiction
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Alfred A. Knopf
• Publication date : February 25, 2006
• Number of pages : 357
• Last updated : June 11, 2015

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I Am The Messenger

59 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-13

Part 2, Chapters 14-26

Part 3, Chapters 27-39

Part 4, Chapters 40-52

Part 5, Chapters 53-57

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Part 1, Chapters 1-13 Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “the first message”, part 1, chapter 1 summary: “the holdup”.

As the novel opens, 19-year-old cab driver Ed Kennedy and his friends Marvin, Ritchie, and Audrey are held hostage during a bank robbery. Due to the gunman’s obvious incompetence, Ed and Marvin are more irritated than frightened by the situation. The two bicker about Marvin’s dilapidated Ford Falcon, drawing the robber’s attention. The gunman’s getaway vehicle is spotted by the police, so he takes Marvin’s keys. The robber drops his weapon as he exits the bank, and Ed astonishes himself by picking it up and holding the robber at gunpoint until the police arrive. The officer who takes Ed and Marvin’s statements insults the Falcon, but Marv claims that he has more important priorities than buying a new car. As they exit the police station, reporters swarm around Ed. He imagines the next day’s headlines reading, “Local Deadbeat Makes Good” (14). A few days later, Ed receives a message that he states, “changes everything” (14).

Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary: “Sex Should Be like Math: An Introduction to My Life”

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I Am the Messenger (Zusak) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions 1. There are many ironies in Ed Kennedy’s life. One is in the name of the company for which he works—Vacant Taxi Company. What is “vacant” in Ed’s life? Explain the irony in Audrey’s statement, “You used to just be.... Now you’re somebody, Ed.” (p. 232) Discuss how Ed resolves the ironies in his life. 2. Describe Ed’s family. Explain what his mother means when she says, “Believe it or not—it takes a lot of love to hate you like this.” (p. 245) Ed’s mother says that his father promised to take her away. She resents the fact that he never did. Debate whether his mother is simply looking for someone to blame for her unhappiness. How is Audrey’s family similar to Ed’s family? 3. Discuss Ed and Audrey’s relationship. Audrey says that she likes Ed too much to have sex with him, and he says that he wants more than sex from her. Why does Audrey think that sex would ruin their relationship? What does Ed want from Audrey? It is obvious that Audrey is having sex with other guys. How does her attitude toward casual sex indicate disrespect for herself? Ed eventually learns that Audrey is in love with him. Why is she reluctant to reveal her love for him? What might Ed offer her at the end of the novel that he was incapable of offering in the beginning? 4. Ed and his friends are in a bank when it is robbed. Debate whether Ed is in the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time. 5. After the robbery, Ed begins receiving the cards in the mail. Explain how Ed knows that each mission he is handed is serious business. 6. One of Ed’s first messages is to soothe Milla Johnson’s loneliness by posing as her deceased husband. How does this experience show Ed the real meaning of love? Then, Ed delivers a message to Sophie, the barefoot runner. Explain the courage that Ed learns from Sophie. What does Ed learn from each of the twelve messages that he delivers? How is each mission a lesson for the heart? 7. There are times when self-hatred is almost debilitating to Ed. Who is most responsible for his poor self-concept? How do the cards help Ed gain a more positive sense of self? Explain how Ed is both the messenger and the message. How does this support the theory that by helping others, a person helps himself? What does Ed mean when he says, “If I ever leave this place, I’ll make sure I’m better here first?” (p. 283) 8. Ed says, “I want words at my funeral. But I guess that means that you need life in your life.” (p. 298) How do the missions slowly put “life” in Ed’s life? Think about the words that each of the characters might offer Ed by the end of the novel. 9. Some readers like open endings, and others like distinct conclusions. What is your preference? Why do you think the author ended the novel the way he did? Make a case for both types f endings. ( Questions issued by publisher .)

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I am The Messenger Summary

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Published: May 29, 2024 | Updated: May 29, 2024

I have something special for fans of compelling, thought-provoking literature: “I Am the Messenger” by Markus Zusak. This gripping novel, from the acclaimed author of “The Book Thief,” is an engaging mix of mystery, humor, and heart. The purpose of this post is to familiarize you with the intriguing story and rich characters of “I Am the Messenger” without giving away any spoilers.

My discussion will proceed as follows: First, I provide a summary of the novel, outlining the key events and plot points. Next, I delve into the characters, offering detailed descriptions of the main players. To wrap up, I’ll offer some thought-provoking book club questions that explore the novel’s themes and provoke deeper discussion.

“I Am the Messenger” by Markus Zusak follows the story of Ed Kennedy, a 19-year-old cab driver with no clear direction in life. Ed lives in a small, unnamed Australian town and spends his days driving his cab, playing cards with his friends, and caring for his loyal, coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. He harbors unrequited love for his best friend, Audrey, and generally feels stuck in a mundane routine.

The story kicks off when Ed unintentionally thwarts a bank robbery. His unexpected heroism catches the attention of an unknown figure, and soon after, he receives an envelope in the mail containing a playing card—the Ace of Diamonds. Written on the card are three addresses and times, nudging Ed towards a series of tasks that he must complete.

The first address leads Ed to a house where a man regularly abuses his wife. At first unsure of how to intervene, Ed eventually finds a way to stop the abuse, giving the wife a chance to escape her violent situation. The second address directs him to an elderly woman named Milla, who lives alone, haunted by memories of her past. Ed begins to visit her, pretending to be her long-lost love to provide her with companionship and comfort. The third address takes him to a young girl named Sophie, who runs barefoot during her races. Ed encourages her to run with shoes, boosting her confidence and altering her outlook on life.

Photo: Amazon

Following the completion of the tasks associated with the first card, Ed receives three more Aces—each leading him to new addresses and more complex missions. These tasks push Ed out of his comfort zone and force him to confront his own fears and shortcomings. Along the way, he helps a priest revitalize his congregation, supports a single mother struggling to make ends meet, and assists a struggling family by anonymously providing them with much-needed financial aid.

Throughout these missions, Ed’s actions become increasingly significant to the people he encounters, creating ripples of change within the community. However, the mysterious nature of the messages and the identity of their sender continue to loom over him.

As Ed completes the final set of tasks, he receives the Joker card, which leads him to his own house. The realization dawns on him that the orchestrator of these missions has been closely watching him all along. In a final confrontation, Ed learns that his mission was to discover his own potential and break free from his self-imposed limitations. The orchestrator reveals themselves as an enigmatic figure who engineered these tasks to prove to Ed—and to himself—that even an ordinary person is capable of extraordinary acts.

In the end, Ed embraces his role as the messenger, recognizing that his actions have not only transformed the lives of others but have also led to his own personal growth and self-discovery. The novel closes with Ed looking forward to his future with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility.

Related: Clap When You Land Summary

I am The Messenger Characters

Here are the characters from “ I Am the Messenger ” by Markus Zusak:

• Ed Kennedy : A 19-year-old underage cab driver with no clear direction in life. He is the protagonist of the story who becomes the messenger after stopping a bank robbery.
• Audrey : Ed’s best friend and unrequited love. She works as a cab driver as well and is an important part of Ed’s close-knit group of friends.
• Marv : One of Ed’s close friends, known for being tight with money and having a rough exterior. He is part of the regular card-playing group.
• Ritchie : Another of Ed’s friends who is also part of the card-playing group. He is somewhat aimless and represents the lack of ambition that Ed also feels.
• The Doorman : Ed’s loyal, coffee-drinking dog. He is a source of comfort and companionship for Ed.
• Milla : An elderly woman who lives alone and believes Ed to be her long-lost love. Ed provides her with companionship and helps her find peace.
• Sophie : A young girl who runs barefoot during her races. Ed encourages her to run with shoes, boosting her confidence and altering her outlook on life.
• Father O’Reilly : A priest struggling to keep his congregation engaged. Ed helps him by attending services and inspiring others to return to the church.
• Angie Carusso : A single mother working at an ice cream parlor. Ed helps her by giving her and her children small, thoughtful gifts that make a big difference in their lives.
• Bernie Price : The owner of a failing movie theater. Ed organizes a special event to draw people back to the theater, revitalizing Bernie’s business and spirit.
• Keith and Daryl : Two thugs who initially intimidate Ed but later become key players in revealing the orchestrator behind Ed’s missions.
• The Mysterious Orchestrator : An enigmatic figure who sends Ed the playing cards with addresses and tasks, ultimately revealing that the missions were designed to help Ed discover his own potential.

I am The Messenger Book Club Questions

Here are some book club questions for “I Am the Messenger” by Markus Zusak:

• Identity and Self-Discovery : How does Ed’s perception of himself change throughout the novel?
• Courage and Heroism : What does the novel suggest about what it means to be a hero? How do Ed’s actions reflect everyday heroism?
• Purpose and Meaning : How do the tasks Ed is given help him find a sense of purpose in his life?
• Friendship and Relationships : How do Ed’s relationships with his friends, particularly Audrey, evolve over the course of the book?
• Compassion and Kindness : What role does compassion play in Ed’s journey? How do his acts of kindness impact the people around him?
• Challenges and Growth : What are some of the major challenges Ed faces, and how do they contribute to his personal growth?
• Mystery and Intrigue : How does the mysterious nature of the messages and the identity of the orchestrator add to the novel’s suspense?
• Family Dynamics : How does Ed’s relationship with his family, especially his mother, influence his actions and decisions?
• Community and Connection : In what ways does Ed’s journey affect his community? What does the novel say about the importance of community?
• Love and Sacrifice : How does Ed’s unrequited love for Audrey shape his character and decisions? What does he sacrifice throughout the novel?
• Change and Transformation : Which characters, besides Ed, experience significant transformations? How do these changes affect the overall story?
• Motivation and Influence : What do you think motivates the orchestrator to choose Ed for these tasks? How does this influence the way you interpret the story?
• Symbolism and Imagery : How do the playing cards serve as symbols in the novel? What do they represent about Ed’s journey?
• Moral and Ethical Choices : How does Ed’s understanding of right and wrong evolve through the tasks he completes?
• Endings and Beginnings : How did you interpret the ending of the novel? What do you think it suggests about Ed’s future?

Related: Dear Martin Summary and Characters

Final thoughts

To conclude, I hope that you have found this overview intriguing. “I Am the Messenger” is a powerful and engaging novel that explores themes of identity, purpose, and everyday heroism through the journey of an ordinary young man thrust into extraordinary circumstances. If you have not already read it, I highly recommend picking up this book and experiencing Ed Kennedy’s transformative adventure for yourself.

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Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

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