Ed Kennedy inadvertently prevents a bank robbery in progress and is suddenly vaulted into the middle of a high stakes card game.

As “the Messenger,” Ed is charged with delivering specific messages to improve people’s lives, no matter what the consequences.

“I Am the Messenger” is Markus Zusak’s fourth book. It has the same page-turning thrill of Zusak’s international best-seller “The Book Thief,” yet it compels more with humor and human interest than with sadness and intensity.

Ed and his three best friends are relatable characters who lead average lives. As 19-year-old cabbies, unemployed soccer fiends, and card sharks, they already feel that life has passed them by. That is, until the Ace of Diamonds arrives in Ed’s mailbox with three addresses printed on it. As Ed makes the rounds to the three addresses, he discovers that someone at each of the addresses is in need of help and that it is his responsibility to deliver assistance.

Ed endures trials and tribulations to deliver exactly the message 16 different people need at the moment they need it most. Some of these are difficult and involve danger, while others are as simple as buying an ice cream cone.

I could not put this book down. I found it to be compelling, humorous, poignant, thought-provoking, and touching. Several weeks after reading the book, I am still thinking about the surprise twist at the end. The characters and vignettes provide a lasting testament to the decency of humanity. When much of what we hear in the media is negative, this book provides a refreshing and realistic portrayal of the good will embodied in ordinary people.

As Ed himself says, “Usually, we walk around constantly believing ourselves. ‘I’m okay,’ we say. ‘I’m all right.’ But sometimes the truth arrives on you, and you can’t get it off. That is when you realize that sometimes it isn’t even an answer – it’s a question.” The truths “I Am the Messenger” delivers will stick with you long after finishing this book.