Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Kayla (Midnight Twilight)

Liesel Meminger is growing up in Nazi Germany. Although she is not a Jew, it's still a very hard time for all of Germany. There are bombs and food shortages and all the Jews are disappearing. Liesel's book stealing begins after her brother dies on a train bringing them to their foster parents house. Her and her mother get off the train at an unnamed town to bury her brother. At the graveyard Liesel finds a book in the snow The Grave Digger's Handbook. This spurs Liesel's love of books and words. The only problem, she never learned how to read. With the help of her foster father (Papa) she learns how to read and write. Her Papa is a painter, an accordionist, and a man of his word. So when he makes a promise to his fallen friend's wife that if she ever needs any help he's there. When her son Max, a Jew, needs to hide from the Nazis Hans (Papa) needs to make good on his promise. Now that their hiding a Jew in their basement life is harder than ever, and then the bombs come. The Book Thief is an amazing modern look into the life of Nazi Germany during the holocaust.


I don't think i've ever had more to say about a book before. I was pulled into this book very quickly, i fell in love with it.
I've never seen a book written like this, for many different reasons. I love how the narrator is a character in the story; the narrator is also death. He takes people's souls as they are dieing. I also like the way it was written--with little side notes thrown into the story.
I thought the first few chapters were cool, how the narrator was explaining his background and how this story came to be (how he met the book thief.)
This book has the story of a classic, but the feel of a modern book. All book lovers will be pulled in.
What i didn't like was all the death, i mean, in this story and setting it was inevitable, but it was still very sad. If you want a nice light summer read don't pick up this book. If you want a story that will get under your skin and truly move you, this is the book to read.