I Am the Messenger

       Ok, now I know what everyone has been talking about with this book. The plot devices used are quite improbable to say the least, which breaks the rule that a narrative has to be at least plausible for a reader to buy into it (unless it is a fantasy or science fiction book, that is). The mystery letter that Ed Kennedy that forces his life into action is definitely a convenient plot device, a deus ex machina, if you will. That aside, this is an enjoyable read with some nice dialogue in it. At the beginning I was confused about where the story's setting was (Southern Hemisphere? English surnames? A sort of half British, half American dialect?? ). I would have thought England if it weren't for the Southern Hemisphere and the fact that they call soccer soccer, and not football. Oh well... but do they call soccer soccer in Australia? I don't know. If not, this may be an adjustment made in order to make the book more accessible for U.S. readers.
       Otherwise the premise of the book is one that provides a good message to students. Even if you don't have much self confidence you can still make meaningful change in your world even if buy seemingly small acts like buying someone an ice cream cone. I know that when I experience someone's random act of kindness that I remember it and it changes my whole day. The same thing happens when I see someone exhibit a large amount of patience with others, it makes me want to become more patient, myself.
      This is the golden kernel of this story: a story about how one makes the world more humane with one act at a time. As far as the odd plot devices and rather limp ending, however, these aspects could have been planned out better. Although, as some of our classmates also already mentioned, these faults within the book provides the students with opportunities come up with better ideas, as well as opportunities to critique a book's structure in an intellectual way.
     Definitely worth putting on your classroom bookshelf so that one can find out about how someone who has a negative self-image can can their circumstances, as well as the circumstances of others, as so is actually quite capable of being powerful.