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A review by bright_eyed_and_bookish
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
For the past year, It has been hard for me to pick up anything that isn't romance when I am tired and looking for comfort. The two factors that compelled me to start this book spontaneously on a night when I could not sleep, were that someone I knew had mentioned it to me casually ,and when I read the synopsis it looked like it had the best friends to lovers trope. I am trash for best-friends to lovers.
Two weeks later, having finished the book, that reason for picking this up feels stupid and valid at the same time. This book gave me so much more than the romance, but I recognize its role in pulling me in.
I came away from this book with the memory of a few characters I deeply identified with. The book is filled with side characters who have a gap in their lives, preventing them from feeling either joy or meaning. Ed's actions seemed to have lit the spark in their souls with his small actions. It's amazing what a simple gift or kick in the butt can do. Of course, I recognize his actions are often questionable. Those parts make me think about what justifies a good, potentially life changing deed.
During my first year of university at home because of the pandemic , I think I felt half-dead and mediocre a lot of the time. That's probably part of why I resonated so much with the themes of this book of what it means to feel alive and be extraordinary. It made me focus on the many small things that a person can do that add up to some form of greatness.
Something that bothered me a bit was that Ed seems so unnaturally intuitive when it comes to knowing what to do for the people he is sent to, especially when his thoughts and fears in his personal life are so relatable. I had to accept that he was sort of a "fairy godmother" type character. I also wish I got to know more about Audrey, considering how Ed treats her like a queen. Maybe there could have been more about her at the end. I was pretty engrossed in the ending. I thought it ended a bit abruptly.
My last note might be for readers of some genres: There is a pretty beautiful HFN to the romance, at least in my opinion.
Two weeks later, having finished the book, that reason for picking this up feels stupid and valid at the same time. This book gave me so much more than the romance, but I recognize its role in pulling me in.
I came away from this book with the memory of a few characters I deeply identified with. The book is filled with side characters who have a gap in their lives, preventing them from feeling either joy or meaning. Ed's actions seemed to have lit the spark in their souls with his small actions. It's amazing what a simple gift or kick in the butt can do. Of course, I recognize his actions are often questionable. Those parts make me think about what justifies a good, potentially life changing deed.
During my first year of university at home because of the pandemic , I think I felt half-dead and mediocre a lot of the time. That's probably part of why I resonated so much with the themes of this book of what it means to feel alive and be extraordinary. It made me focus on the many small things that a person can do that add up to some form of greatness.
Something that bothered me a bit was that Ed seems so unnaturally intuitive when it comes to knowing what to do for the people he is sent to, especially when his thoughts and fears in his personal life are so relatable. I had to accept that he was sort of a "fairy godmother" type character. I also wish I got to know more about Audrey, considering how Ed treats her like a queen. Maybe there could have been more about her at the end. I was pretty engrossed in the ending. I thought it ended a bit abruptly.
My last note might be for readers of some genres:
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Violence