The book thief by Markus Zusak

The book thief is a brilliantly written story by Markus Zusak. The story gives the reader insight into the reign of Adolf Hitler during World War 2 inside Nazi Germany. The story is about a young girl trying to survive and educate herself during the struggles of the war, then on top of that, her foster parents give shelter to a Jew, which could cost them their lives. This book made my emotions run wild with anxiety for the characters and hope for a better future for them.

Read this as a prescribed book in school and although it was a forced read at the time, I thoroughly enjoyed it once I got over my rebellious nonsense of disliking a book just because it had been prescribed. Death himself narrates the story of the book thief in Nazi Germany. The Book Thief is not one of those books you read compulsively, desperately wanting to finish one page to get to another. Its more of a book you read slowly, in small doses to savor the words and to comprehend the events described. Here’s one of my favorite quotes:

” I do not carry a sickle or a scythe. I only wear a hooded black robe when it’s cold.”

What if death was more than just what happened to everyone eventually? What if death had a voice and opinions and, maybe even, a conscious? What do you think death would say, think? This book tells us the sad story of a little girl, Liesel, and her encounters with death from the perspective of death. The relationship Liesel develops with her foster dad, neighbours and books is what I most loved about the book. It is a very interesting read and the book was very hard to put down.

The Book Thief is a 2005 historical novel by Australian author Markus Zusak and is his most popular work. The story is narrated by Death who over the course of the book turns out to be a morose yet caring narrator. The novel is about Liesel Meminger as she comes of age in Nazi Germany during World War II. The book is extremely well written and is heart-breaking.
Definitely worth the read