Review: The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak

Published March 14, 2006 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

[Goodreads][Amazon][Indigo Chapters]

Summary:

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. 

Review:

The contents of this story is written for a younger audience (younger meaning I'm turning 25 - I'm of a generation that still knows what dial-up sounds like.) Though the story itself is written for a young adult audience, the contents of it's material is heavy, so heavy... but that's to be expected when you're telling a story from the point of view of Death himself, carrying the souls of those who died in the Holocaust. This story is not about thousands dying, however. It's about a young girl living in Germany, in poverty with her foster family and the Jewish fist fighter they hide in the basement.

I think the best thing I can relate to in this book is the power of words and books and how they can influence the lives of others. A good example is Liesel, the protagonist, and her descriptive view of the use of propaganda but in another light, books and words had saved her friend Max's life. Without giving away too much of the details, this isn't just a story about survival, but family, love and friendship. This is story about beautiful and ugly things and you can take a lot away from it.

You'll read The Book Thief and you'll feel a variety of feels. You might laugh, you might (most definitely, actually) cry. Although a work of fiction, this book feels more than real, the story plays magnificently and I can't wait until the movie adaptation comes to fruition. I can't wait to see the characters that I at first hated, then grew to love. 

Despite the demographic this book is written for, it could be said that this book could span generations and everyone can really connect with this book. If you have the opportunity, pick this up and please give the characters the love they deserve.

Rating: 5/5 Bookworms