Without understanding why, Ed suddenly behaves out of character and becomes the hero in the situation. He acts impulsively to go after the robber. The gun’s metamorphosis into something soft in his hand has a dream-like quality, as if Ed is a construct of someone’s imagination. In the extraordinary circumstances of a bank robbery, Ed’s disorientation is a normal reaction, but Ed’s perceptions foreshadow events that will unfold over the coming year. Ed’s comment about the message that changes his life marks the bank incident as a turning point in his life. I think there are a lot of kids who might relate to this love-hate relationship with their parents or elders. His mother does ring him up, although he knows it’s because he’s the only one who still lives in town and is actually available to do her favours. The greatest part of this book for me lies in two parts. The first is Ed himself. He is a fantastic protagonist and so relatable - you can't help but root for him. The second part is the message itself, the power of kindness, that people can really make a difference.

For me, it means that in our self centered existence we have forgotten the beauty of the happiness that blossoms when we see the genuine smile we have helped bring forth. And in that process we discover ourselves. Yes we, always do." stars. Some books you instantly love - they reach you, unconditionally. Others you hate with passion and you would happily burn them if only you weren't reading ebooks (also, you really don't want to have something in common with every tyrant out there). Then they're the mild, non-committal threes and two-and-a-half, better known as the great shelf of meh. The writing was good. There was a certain desperation in the words to be heard out, that threatened to become vociferous. It was irksome in the beginning but slowly became dearer and now, it is somehow etched on my mind.

The ace of hearts is the final challenge for Ed to accept his new role as an agent of change. This card brings Ed face to face with those closest to him and calls him to abandon his friends’ sacrosanct status quo. Ed rises to the challenge. He gives Ritchie the motivation to change. He helps Marv face up to his past and right the mistakes he made. And he conveys Audrey’s specialness to her in a way that can heal her sense of worthlessness.

The narrator, nineteen-year-old Ed Kennedy, introduces himself. He grew up in the slums where unemployment and teenage pregnancy are norms. His circle of friends—Audrey, Marv, and Ritchie—play the card game Annoyance several times a week. His father, an alcoholic who mismanaged money, died six months prior, leaving behind his mother Bev. Two sisters, Leigh and Katherine, have moved out. Ed’s younger brother Tommy attends college in the city, an option Ed considers out of reach given his father’s neglect of family finances. Ed compares himself to what Bob Dylan, Salvador Dali, and Joan of Arc achieved by age nineteen. In contrast, Ed is an underage cab driver who lives alone with the aged family dog, Doorman. He fantasizes about dating Audrey but respects the boundaries she erects against intimacy as a result of her rough family life. Ed analyzes his dating history and wishes that sexual prowess were regarded like math skills, with no shame in being clueless. Summary: 3♦ the ace of diamondsPlus, a 19-year-old-suffering-from-low-self-esteem-who-has-a-severe-case-of-unrequited-love-that-is-moved-enough-by-circumstances-presented-to-him-that-he-does-whatever-he-can-to-improve-their-situations?? HELLO??? Um...my 19 year old self would have been utterly smitten. With lines like this: "The yawn of a girl can be so beautiful it makes you cringe". swoon. It didn't change my life---but it gave me a nice reprieve. Okay, I can see the flaws, I mean..I'm not a stupid sap. I could see the formula... I knew what was coming. But, the writing makes up for it.

I had a lot more to say about this while I was reading it but got caught up in the story and forgot most of what I'd planned. Kind of like waking from a dream and resolving to write it down in the morning, then not being able to remember anything at all. It reminded me of G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday for a few brief moments but I'm not sure why.

This work provides examples of:

You are the epitome of ordinariness, Ed.” He looks at me seriously. “And if a guy like you can stand up and do what you did for all those people, well, maybe everyone can. Maybe everyone can live beyond what they’re capable of.” He becomes intense now. Emotional. This is everything. “Maybe even I can.” Me: * to readers* Hello and welcome to the next section where we will be analysing the characters Zusak has created and moulded in Messenger, discussing their themes and relationships. First up is our protagonist Ed, and he...well, I believe he can introduce himself better than I possibly could. * turns to ed*

The way the book ends...it’s unconventional, to say the least. It catches you off-guard and takes its own sweet time to really sink in. But God, I loved it!! I think it’s the kind of ending that only a genius like Markus Zusak could come up with. Nothing really ends at the end. Things just keep going as long as memory can wield its ax, always finding a soft part in your mind to cut through and enter. I also fear that nothing really ends at the end. Things just keep going as long as memory can wield its ax, always finding a soft part in your mind to cut through and enter.After understanding this and coming to terms with the mysterious instances of the story I was hooked in. Simply so awed by the sheer idea of it. And when I did get the answer much later, I wanted nothing but shout it out loud. Why ? Simple, because I felt like it.