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Ed Kennedy is a completely ordinary guy, basking in the glow of mediocrity, until one day, shortly after he haplessly stops a bank robber, the first ace arrives. It lists three addresses. What starts as curiosity becomes a mission to help, by any means necessary. Ed becomes the messenger, but who is behind his new mission? When and how will it stop?
This book was incredibly thought-provoking, which seems to be Markus Zusak’s M.O. (see review for The Book Thief, also by Zusak). I found his characters to be very engaging; my only complaint is that occasionally I found the language to be a distraction.
Rated: High. It should be noted that while this book is technically “young adult” I would not recommend it for younger readers. There is frequent mild language, including taking the Lord’s name in vain, as well as a few instances of strong language very early in the book. Even more, there is fairly frequent crass language, language some may not consider inappropriate, but it still is the kind of language that would (or should) garner a very disapproving look from Mom. Beyond that there are some mentions of sex, usually in the form of daydreams. There are several mentions of rape in the context of a drunk husband and his wife. Last, teenage pregnancy comes up once in some detail and another time in passing reference. Unfortunately, the content of the book, I think, interferes with the message. That being said, if you or someone you know is willing to read it with a black pen handy and “edit” the book for content, you will have added a great book to your library that can be read comfortably in later years and shared with family and friends.
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