A review by booksrockcal
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I first read portions of this book when our son Gabe was in high school. He didn’t like the book because the narrator is Death and it did not seem realistic to him but I was intrigued by what I read and always intended to return to it. Our upcoming trip to Germany provided a reason to read this book as it was recommended by our tour company (Road Scholar) and I’m sorry i did not read it previously. The book is indeed narrated by Death, an effective method to provide a removed commentary on the evil that caused the deaths in Nazi Germany. It is the story of Liesel, 9 years old in 1939 when she is taken in as a foster child by Hans and Rosa Habermann. Max teaches her to read, using the book she stole from the graveside before she got to the Habermann’s. The Habermann’s take in a Jewish man named Max, son of a friend from WWI, and hide him in the basement. Meanwhile Liesel steals more books, mostly from the library of the mayor and his wife where her foster mother does the laundry and life goes on in Germany, with Hitler Youth, the Nazi party loyalty tests, Death’s commentary of the Jews of Dachau being exterminated nearby alongside soccer games in the street, school for the children, wartime deprivations for all, and the constant fear of discovery by the Nazis of the Jewish man in the basement while Allied bombs get closer. This book is thought provoking and mind bending, showing ordinary Germans in settings we don’t typically see juxtaposed against the evils of Nazi Germany. This is marketed as a YA book but it’s for adults as well. Truly an eye opening book. I’m sorry it took me so long to read it.