#174 in Young adult
I Am the Messenger
- 384
- Pages
- about 7 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“I Am the Messenger” is a warm, darkly funny novel about an ordinary man pushed to make something of his life. Playing cards arrive in the post, each carrying a message, and behind them stands a plain idea about not settling for an existence half lived. Some readers love the card motif and that directness; others find the characters thin and the closing explanation unprepared.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
From the author of The Book Thief comes this darkly funny and ultimately uplifting thriller which proves that anyone can be extraordinary. Ed Kennedy is just your less-than-average Joe who is hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. But after he single-handedly manages to catch a bank robber, he receives a playing card in the mail: the Ace of Diamonds. This is the first message. Four more will follow. But before this particular card game can end, Ed will be changed forever . . . Will Audrey love the man he has become?
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.0 across 310 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 68% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Young adult average of 7.8. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.7 | 11 | 4% |
| Hardcover | 7.9 | 299 | 97% |
Frequently asked
What age is I Am the Messenger for?
I Am the Messenger sits on the Young adult shelf in the sources we use, which by convention means roughly ages 13 and up. This is a guide from the book’s category, not a publisher’s age rating. It has 384 pages — shorter than 67% of the ranked books in Young adult.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Young adult — and a score of 7.9, the closest to this book.
