Title- The Book Thief

 

Author- Markus Zusak

 

Genre- Historical Fiction 

 

Pages- 608

 

Age Range- 13 and Older

 

Published- September 1st, 2005

 

The story begins in Nazi Germany during World War ll, following the life of Liesel Meminger, narrated by Death, who observes her life and reflects on humanity during the war. During the times of war, change, and hardship, Liesel begins to secretly collect books of all kinds, which provide escape for her and others during a dangerous time. She uses these books to form relationships with her foster family, as well as the neighbor she has to hide and protect. The story explores the importance of words and how they are used- whether used for propaganda or hate, or for love and hope. 

 

Many themes are developed in The Book Thief, including the power of words, cruelty and kindness of humanity, life and death, and courage. 

 

 

The book was extremely historically accurate, proving the authors’ in-depth research on the subject. It added to the realism of the story being created. If I had to choose the most fascinating thing about this book, it would be regarding the narrator. Who is the narrator you may ask? Well, the narrator is Death itself. This offered such a unique perspective into the story. Having the book narrated by death allowed for a lot of foreshadowing, as well as multiple notes of symbolism, deepening the plot. I also thoroughly enjoyed Zusak’s writing style. The book included multiple different parts, drawings that depicted the character’s thoughts and feelings, as well as his use of imagery. He writes in a way that makes the book seem lyrical and poetic in a way, much like a storytelling song. Finally, the characters were developed so nicely, most importantly Liesel. Because she is young, having the book set through multiple years of the war allows for the growth of year character- mentally and physically. As she grows older, her opinions and thoughts change, but she seems to stay true to her moral nature. 

 

 While I did really enjoy the narration, it was at times unreliable. There were frequent time jumps due to the unreliable narrator, which had me confused at times, but was resolved later. Another thing I noticed while reading was how slow it was at times. When it was fast, it sure was fast. But, when it was slow, it was a bit dull. The dullness would usually happen midway through the book, but this did in turn allow for such an amazing climax and resolution at the end of the book. 

 

 9.1/10

 

“I have hated words, and I have loved them. I hope I have made them right.”

 

“I am haunted by humans.”

 

“Together, they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they would smile at the beauty of destruction." 

 

If this book intrigued you, here are some others I’d recommend- 

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry