I AM THE MESSENGER - kelcee

I AM THE MESSENGER

Who is Markus Zusak? • Markus Zusak lives in Sydney • works a real job • plays on a soccer team. • He is already asserted himself as one of today’s most innovative and poetic novelists. • He is the award winning author of four previous books for young adults.

Protagonist Ed Kennedy is the main character He is nineteen year old He hasn’t done much with his life. His job is being a cab driver, which he is even underage to do. • One day he stops a bank robbery, and that’s when his life completely changes. • • • •

Antagonist • The antagonist of this book would be the guy that put the whole plot together. • It never says what his name is in the book. • He was the one who made Ed do all of the things he had to do.

Favorite Character • My favorite character is Ed’s friend, Marvin. I just find him so funny! • He loves his beat up old car and is offended if anyone harasses him about it. • By the end of the book you find out that he is a responsible guy and saves his money for a very important reason that Ed doesn’t know about.

Least Favorite Character • My least favorite character is Daryl and Keith. • They are the ones in the book that hurt Ed in order for him to go around to all the houses that they put on the aces. • They follow him around and take pictures to make sure that he is doing what he is told or else he gets hurt in the near future.

Plot Summary:

Exposition • The exposition starts off with the bank robbery. • It introduces the main characters: Ed, Marvin, Audrey, and Richie. • After the bank robbery it goes into the routine of Ed’s life like playing cards at night with his friends and driving a cab for his job. • It explains his life and how he feels about Audrey and goes into detail about all his friends, his mom, and about his dad.

Rising Action •

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The rising action begins to happen when he gets the first ace. Ace of diamonds. It talks about the houses he has to go to and how to help them out. Next, the ace of clubs come and he has another list of houses to go to, but this one is more of surviving. And the last ace in the rising action is the spaces. He has to figure out the address of the houses by the list of books that were given to him. By this point in the book it is showing how much Ed is changing through all of this.

Climax • The climax of this book is when Ed receives the Ace of hearts. • On the playing card has the three names of his best friends. • He thinks he won’t be able to find anything to help them with because he knows everything about them. • Little does he knows everyone has secrets and so do his friends.

Falling Action • •

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The falling action begins when he is sent one last playing card in the mail, the joker. The address on the card is his address. The joker was for him some lesson he had to learn for himself. After he went to his dad’s grave he came home to find someone sitting in his kitchen. It was the guy who started it all. He made a folder of all the conversation, the things Ed had to do, everything. He finally comes to realize that the reason this mystery man made him do all those things was to show Ed that he wasn’t useless in the world. That he could make a difference.

Resolution • The story finally comes together when Audrey shows up at Ed’s door. She tells him that she loves him and she wants to spend the rest of her life with him.

Setting Time Period: The time period is recent. This is important because it’s easier to relate to if you know the time period.

Place: I’m going to guess that this book takes place somewhere in Australia because everyone in the book has an Australian accent.

Themes: • I think the basic and most obvious theme in this book is how much anyone can do to change someone else’s life. That’s what the mystery guy in the book was trying to get at. • Another theme that I got out of the book was that nobody’s worthless. • The third idea that I got out of this book was that nobody ever really knows what happens behind closed doors.

Rating of Book • I would have to give this book an 8 ½ • It really makes you want to get out and change the world. • Also, it’s a hard book to put down. • He puts his accent into his writing which I found very interesting and made me want to read more!

Alcohol Abuse • In the book I Am the Messenger, Ed Kennedy talks a little bit about his childhood and his dad. His dad was an alcoholic that did little with his life. He didn’t have a job, his wife didn’t love him anymore, and he was very distant from his kids.

• Alcohol abuse is a big problem all around the world with adults and also with teenagers.

What is Alcoholism? • Alcoholism is when you can’t control how much you drink and when you drink. • You always have to have a drink in your hand to even do the simplest tasks in everyday life.

Youtube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKSkoTeb fDo

What’s in alcohol that makes it so addictive? • • • •

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The more alcohol that is consumed, the more the body wants. Ethanol is the addictive substance in alcohol. It is poisonous to the human body. There are many contributing factors that make alcohol addictive like the brain and genetics. The brain tells the body that it needs the ethanol in order to do even the simplest tasks everyday. They say that if you have a family history of addiction they have a higher risk of becoming an addict themselves.

Music Video: Walk a Little Straighter Daddy By: Billy Currington http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1no7 Or9BeI

Alcohol is a Depressant • Alcohol is a depressant which means it slows the central nervous system down. • Most people think that it gives you energy, which they are right, but not completely. • It will give you energy for a very short time and then it will shut your body down.

Teens who drink alcohol • The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse said that 80% of high school students have tried alcohol. • 56% of students in grades 5 – 12 say that alcohol advertising encourages them to drink. • 2.6 teenagers didn’t know you could die from an overdose.

Drinking and Driving • The legal limit of BAC level is .08. • 120 lb. woman can reach that level after two drinks. • 180 lb. man can reach that level after only four drinks. • 50 out of 10,000 are arrested for DUI each year.

Statistics • In the United States 12 to 14 millions adults abuse alcohol each year. • Also, around 100,000 adults will die from alcohol abuse. • Alcohol abuse is a large factor in most of the country’s car accidents, suicides, homicides, domestic violence, and child abuse.

Poem Gone. You reek. Your eyes are glazed. Every single day. You've given in to the temptation and I can't deal. The times when I needed you most, you needed the drink more. You used to be bright. My light in life. And now you're nothing but an eclipse. I can't make you see, though. I can't make you realize what you've done to me. You don't exist in my world anymore. You're dead to me. You're dead to everyone. Don't ask for my forgiveness. Don't ask me to be there. You never could do that for me. I hope you're happy with what you've become. With what you've left behind. -Author Unknown

News Broadcast http://www.strimoo.com/video/16552101/Yout h-Rights-Video-Drinking-Age-News-BroadcastMySpace Videos.html

Bibliography • • • • •

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Anderson, Lindsey. "USA Today." Kudzu compound could help quit drinking (2009). Garrigan, Paul. Suite 101. Feb 2010. Feb 2010 . Hanson, David J. Alcohol Problems and Solutions. 2009. February 2010 . Hester, Reid K. Self Help Magazine. 15 Aug 2008. Feb 2010 . Jay, Christopher. Articles on Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Treatment. 16 September 2007. February 2010 . —. Articles on Alcohol Abuse and Treatment. 31 July 2009. February 2010 . Lemonick, Michael D. "Time Magazine." How We Get Addicted (2007). Marks, Jay W. MedicineNet.com. 2010. February 2010 . New, Michelle J. Kids Health. February 2010. February 2010 . Tan, Cheryn. Suite 101. 30 July 2009. February 2010 . Thalman, James. "Deseret News." Utah Begins to Eliminate Underage Drinking (2007).