I Am the Messenger

The gunman is useless. I know it. He knows it. The whole bank knows it.

Meet Ed Kennedy. He is nothing.

His dad's dead, his mom despises him, his dog's decaying, his job's dead-end. His friend Marv's a cheapskate, his friend Richie's unmotivated, and he has a hopeless crush on his friend Audrey, who avoids love like the plague.

And his life? It's about to change forever.

It starts with a playing card in the mail, with cryptic instructions on the back. From then on, Ed finds his way into the lives of various people, and does what he can to make each of their lives just a little bit better. But the tasks quickly begin taking a tole on his own life...

The story reads like a mystery novel, but the book itself reads like a comedy. Yes, there's thrills and suspense, but all that takes a backseat to character relations and good humor. The dramatic and emotional moments--and there are some--are as well written as the comedy, and author Markuz Zusak shifts gears between the two seamlessly. My only complaint is the ending, which sort of pulls you out of the book, but boy, are you in for a ride.

Highly recommended.