The Messenger Reviews

A lot of things worked for me in this book. The plot line, as always was phenomenal, and there was the perfect mix of humor and seriousness. I found the book as a whole a perfectly blended masterpiece that brought in just the right amount of various different elements. 
I loved, loved, loved the pranks and jokes, as I did with Looking for Alaska. They were fun, and they added a nice, carefree feel to an otherwise pretty heavy book that was full of meaning. John Green never fails to make me laugh, and there's absolutely nothing better than telling people John Green quotes and having them give you that what-the-heck-did-you-just-say look. I mean, it's not everyday that you hear somebody talk about the world's largest collection of black Santas. 
It wasn't all laughs and giggles though. This book was surprisingly, somewhat of a mystery, which I hadn't expected. I liked that it was able to incorporate a mystery, detective-sort of feel without actually being a mystery book. I loved how the characters reacted to the things that happened to them, and found them very real and relateable. 
The thing that I love the most about all John Green books is that I walk away feeling smarter/inspired, without being bored to death in the process. This book made me think, but it wasn't weighing me down with facts, or telling me a sob-story. I found that I agreed with many of the things in this book, and found the points it was trying to make subtle enough to keep from being pretentious, but obvious enough so you don't miss them.
For me, this book worked because of its perfect balance. Mr. Green was able to balance humor with serious feelings and ideas perfectly, as well as making his points just subtle enough to be effective, but clear enough to see. It encouraged me to think about the people around me and try to see them for who they really are instead of who I imagine them to be, and made me realize that however well you may know a person, you don't know everything about them. 
Four Point Five Stars out of Five