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mmaaccaa 's review for:
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
There’s nothing I can say here that wasn’t already said in @sophia.’s genius review.
But I’ll say some things anyway.
Lisel’s story was sad, but really, so was everyone’s. It’s WWII Germany, right? So why was Death so obsessed with The Book Thief™️? She wasn’t special. Her story was equally tragic as everyone else’s. There is nothing to interest Death in her specifically, given its general avoidance of all the mess of humanity. The entire premise that she somehow stood out to Death so that it could one day tell her story as The Book Thief ™️ just doesn’t make sense.
And Death, why all the dang spoilers? Telling me everyone is going to die and then just having everyone die in the most predictable fashion kinda ruins it all. There are ways to hint, to foreshadow, to start from the end that still allow the reader to learn more as the story unfolds… but The Book Thief™️ didn’t do that. Death just kept telling us what would happen, and then it happened exactly as Death foretold.
And really, “The Book Thief”? She only stole like 6 books. It wasn’t her identity. It’s just silly to call her The Book Thief™️ like it was some big part of Lisel’s core personality or a major driver of the plot when… it wasn’t.
The characters were shallow and boring. Cardboard, perhaps, like Mama’s face. Very little happened, and when it did, Death told you beforehand, so there was never a big reveal or even a build up of tension.
I did like the sketches though. Bird Max was cute.
But I’ll say some things anyway.
Lisel’s story was sad, but really, so was everyone’s. It’s WWII Germany, right? So why was Death so obsessed with The Book Thief™️? She wasn’t special. Her story was equally tragic as everyone else’s. There is nothing to interest Death in her specifically, given its general avoidance of all the mess of humanity. The entire premise that she somehow stood out to Death so that it could one day tell her story as The Book Thief ™️ just doesn’t make sense.
And Death, why all the dang spoilers? Telling me everyone is going to die and then just having everyone die in the most predictable fashion kinda ruins it all. There are ways to hint, to foreshadow, to start from the end that still allow the reader to learn more as the story unfolds… but The Book Thief™️ didn’t do that. Death just kept telling us what would happen, and then it happened exactly as Death foretold.
And really, “The Book Thief”? She only stole like 6 books. It wasn’t her identity. It’s just silly to call her The Book Thief™️ like it was some big part of Lisel’s core personality or a major driver of the plot when… it wasn’t.
The characters were shallow and boring. Cardboard, perhaps, like Mama’s face. Very little happened, and when it did, Death told you beforehand, so there was never a big reveal or even a build up of tension.
I did like the sketches though. Bird Max was cute.