Reviews

Though this isn't the typical genre of book I tend to enjoy, I found myself absolutely hooked and emotionally invested in this story. It is has both comedic parts and gut-wrenching scenes so be ready with tissues on standby.

This book is narrated by death itself and follows 9 year old Liesel, who is growing up in Nazi Germany with her new foster parents. It follows her life as she adapts to her new family and environment and as she slowly comes to an understanding of what is going on during Nazi Germany. Oh, and she steal books.

I do understand why some people do not enjoy this book. The narration isn't to everyone's taste and I admit I struggled to get into it at the beginning. However, as the story progressed, I found myself falling into the narration style and falling in love with the story.

Many WWII books tend to follow the story of the Jews who were the victims of Nazis. However, this books tells the tale of those living in Nazi Germany at the time and shows how life as a German during Nazi Germany wasn't all rainbows and sunshine. You do get glimpses of what the Jews had to go through throughout the book, especially with Max, however I wouldn't say it's the main theme.

The characters in this book were beautifully developed. I fell in love with all of the characters, particularly Liesel, Max and Hans. I was so emotionally attached to them and my heart ached as I read everything they had to go through. The ending had me tearing up slightly, and I'm not one for crying over books. So if you're a sensitive soul, definitely have tissues nearby!

I also adored the relationships built between the characters. Liesel builts many strong relationships with the people around her, often bonding over words and books. I think this is a beautiful theme that often crops up in this book. This book really highlights the power of words and stories and explores how bonds can be formed over something as simple as words on a page.

Though I loved the story, I wouldn't say there was a very strong plot. It was pretty much just a telling of their lives and what was going on. This can make the book feel as though it doesn't really have much direction but I found that I was rather content with this style of writing and storytelling. I felt as though I was part of their lives and I was feeling what they were feeling at the time.

I was very pleasantly shocked by this book. Like I mentioned previously, this is quite different from my usual genre of books. However, I was not disappointed and I think I might be exploring more books in this genre.

charitacherry's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

makenna22's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.75

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