Katherine Tegen Books Review: Messenger of Fear (Michael Grant)

Hardcover, 272 pages
Expected publication: September 23rd 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books
ARC Provided by Publisher in exchange for Honest Review

I remembered my name – Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, faced with the solemn young man in the black coat with silver skulls for buttons, I could recall nothing else about myself.
And then the games began.
The Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear.

But what does any of this have to do with Mara? She is about to find out . . . 

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I was born in a manger and grew up in a log cabin where I read law books by firelight. . . Oh, wait, that wasn't me, that was someones else.

I had a hard childhood. Hard for my parents. Not that bad for me. I was an Army brat, moved around a lot. Then I didn't settle down. I just kept moving. Why? What inner turmoil drove me? Mmmm, I gotta say none. I just have a short attention span. Easily bored.

I'm living in Tiburon, CA right now. How much longer? Don't know.
I've written 150 books. That's right, I said 150. In your face, Stephen King. Granted, mine are shorter than his. And less popular. And less likely to be made into a major motion picture. And I guess i don't play in a band with Dave Barry, either, do I?

Sorry: Salieri complex acting up.
Most of those books -- and by "most" I mean 149 out of 150 -- I wrote with my wife, the lovely, the talented, the eternally hot, Katherine (K.A.) Applegate. We've been together for 29 years. Which is a long time. Looooong time. Sweet lord what a long . . . No babe, I'm not implying anything.
Damn internets: you never know who's reading things.
Anyway, GONE. My goal in writing GONE? To creep you out. To make you stay up all night reading, then roll into school tired the next day so that you totally blow the big test and end up dropping out of school.

GONE. Imagine a world where every adult vanishes in an instant.

Coming soon, a whole other series: BZRK.

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"If you are 

WICKED

The Messenger will find you...."

WOW...Where do I begin?? This book was so different than ANYTHING I have ever read before...I mean REALLY different. I knew that it was going to be one of those books that you really have to read it slow and savor it to understand it and I was absolutely correct. This book was WILD. 

The book begins with Mara, the main character, waking up in a field of dead grass with a mist surrounding her. She is totally lost and has no idea where she is or what is going on around her. She then meets The Messenger of Fear. The Messenger sees the darkness and evil in human hearts and he offers them a game to play that will determine whether they can go free or live their greatest fear. 

"Balance is everything," he said, almost in a whisper, though as always with the Messenger, I heard his every word as if it were spoken by lips pressed against my ear. "The balance between good and evil, between  true and false, between pain and pleasure, between love and loss, hatred and indifference. However you name them, these balances are all that keep the world spinning."

The Messenger is such an intense character and written perfectly into the story. He basically toys with people to see if they will make the right choice and you really get the sense that he ENJOYS every minute of it...It is extraordinarily CREEPY. The Messenger informs Mara that she his apprentice and will be learning how to perform his job. 

The Messenger then takes Mara on several "trips" to different people and situations and Mara has to watch as these people make bad choices and how their choices affect them and the people around them. Mara and the Messenger then give them the choice to play the "game" and face the consequences. 

This book is just so incredibly wild and fascinating. I had NO idea where Michael Grant was taking the story and yet I could not wait to find out...I flipped pages so fast and was completely absorbed in this story. Michael Grant created a breath-taking, suspense-filled story that absolutely won me over. WOW....I mean WOW...If you are looking for a book that is very intense and very deep then this is your story. I love all of Michael Grant's books and he did not disappoint with this one....Fascinating...Just Fascinating....

and on another note that has nothing to do with the review...I absolutely LOVE Michael Grant's humor... His dedication in the front of the book was priceless...loved it....

**The quotes from this book have been taken from an Advanced Reading Copy and are subject to change when the final book is printed. Please refer to the final, finished copy for exact quotes!**

**I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Katherine Tegan Books & Harper Teen for the opportunity to review this AMAZING book!!**