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puffins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Child death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide
patchedspines's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
niki258devil_angel's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
miriyumi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, and War
fuzzygazelle's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Mental illness, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol
raspberryjelly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Blood
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Suicide, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Deportation
fblair's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, and War
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
josephdf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Hate crime, Antisemitism, and War
smolone13's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Suicide, Police brutality, Death of parent, and War
bookishchristiana's review against another edition
- 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
&
“Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.”
&
“It kills me sometimes, how people die.” - Markus Zusak, The Book Thief.
To begin with, there are so many more quotes I could have put at the start of this post. This book is beautifully written, perhaps the most beautiful I've ever read. I know I'm extremely late to the party, but I absolutely loved The Book Thief. The premise, a story about Nazi Germany told from the perspective of death and a young girl, is so original and it is executed immaculately. It portrays the beauty but also evil of humanity so so well; how we were all pure young children once but we grow to love and hate so much. The horrors of Nazi Germany are not shied away from, they are front and centre. Despite this, I think the book is truly about a child's capacity to love those around them, despite the horrors. The main cast of characters are so loveable and human in the best way. That doesn't negate the terrible things happening around them, they continue throughout and are awful to read. Conversely to our main cast, we are also shown the true horrors humans inflict on one another. The hatred instilled in such a large population was and is terrifying, demonstrating how characters and real people are also human in the worst way. I think, considering the things occurring in our world today (the Palestinian genocide to name perhaps the most prominent one on our minds at the moment), this book continues to be painfully relevant. The lessons learned and the things considered in The Book Thief cannot and should not be forgotten. This literary masterpiece is so so important, I'm only sad I didn't read it sooner. To describe this book in a single sentence, I would say that this book is about humanity at its best and worst. I adored it and it devastated me (I cried so much at the end). This review may have been a bit of a ramble but I hope I got my main points across. If you haven't read this yet, please do, and if you have, read it again! - C x
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and War