Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

236 reviews

cc_shelflove's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I have a lot of mixed emotions surrounding this book. First things first: I wish I could have protected Papa at all costs! 🥺 The relationships between Zusak’s characters felt strong and true. Papa and Liesel’s bond was so strong he entrusted the 10-year-old girl with his largest secret: he was hiding and helping a Jewish man, Max, in his basement. Oh, and the gift Max made Liesel for her birthday… 😭 Yet another strong connection featured in this book!

Where I struggled with this bestseller was its third-person point of view. Personally (and please don’t come at me for this), I wasn’t a fan of Death being the narrator, but I commend the author for his originality. Death’s recollection of events lacked emotion at times, and I wished I could see certain happenings through Liesel’s or Max’s eyes instead. Death also often referred to events that hadn’t happened yet, which was a bit confusing for this reader. I would much rather have read Liesel’s ‘dusty black book.’

A central theme in The Book Thief was the power of words. I enjoyed watching Liesel use a tome to bring neighbors together in a bomb shelter, in a time of uncertainty and fear. The author did a nice job of bringing this theme to a close in the epilogue as well. Overall, it’s possible I might have enjoyed this more if I hadn’t read The Little Liar so recently; that novel will reign superior in my mind. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Suicide, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, and Classism

julkaeva's review against another edition

dark emotional lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Violence

Minor: Suicide and Injury/Injury detail

pandemonicbaby's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. I just bawled my eyes out with the last few chapters.
I should've known. The subject of death always makes me cry.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Suicide, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol

ashes9878's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Violence and Grief

_13stars's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Antisemitism, Grief, and War

Moderate: Death and Violence

Minor: Child death

ashmak06's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

_fallinglight_'s review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and War

Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent

patchthecat's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book made me cry several times. I fell in love with some of the characters and the ending absolutely broke me. I am amazed at how uniquely this book was wrote and how it brought me to to tears so much. I am glad this was the first book I read this year (tho I did also read some of it in December.)
This book is not my favourite of all time but the writing and story was so fantastic so I'm rating it a 5.

Max leaving and being seen on the street made my heart shatter, I'm glad he lived in the end but I didn't really have time to process that he did because the ending was so painful to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and War

Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Death of parent

Beautiful heart shattering book.

symmetra's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A gorgeous, heart-wrenching book, with the unique narrative voice of Death. It has stuck with me for years.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Suicide

friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

5.0

This is a work of art. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit