Marcus Zusak

Just polished off Zusak's I am the Messenger. I really have no clue why this is considered a YA book. Surely it has appeal to teens, but -- much like his previous title, The Book Thief -- its appeal is clearly universal. The story of Ed Kennedy, a young man who becomes an unlikely delivery man of various forms of happiness, is engaging and magical. Ed, the book's narrator, has an intangible appeal that makes him strangely loveable and I was routing for him and his goofy friends immediately. Zusak manages to consider some pretty hefty subjects in a book that moves along at a nice clip and is a light read. Inspite of this, it's just as hypnotic as The Book Thief, which really swallowed me whole for the duration. While very different, both are excellent books for any age.