The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

First of all, this historical fiction book is really slow. At least at the beginning. It isn't neccessarily a hard book to read it is just slow. Anyway, Leisel Meminger is a nine year old girl who has been through a LOT in her life. Just so you know this takes place during World War II in Germany 1939. Anyway, Her real mom got sent to a concentration camp so she had to send Liesel and her brother she has to send them to Hans and Rosa Hubermann. On the way her brother dies. It didn't really say how he died because "Death" was the narrator in that part. I will explain that later. So before they actually get there they have to obviously go bury him and as the two people are digging a book falls out of one of their pockets. She picks up The Grave Diggers Handbook and takes it... BUT she doesn't exactly know how to read and she is still scarred because her brother died right in front of her eyes. I couldn't imagine what that would be like. So she goes to the Hubermanns and every night she has a nightmare about her brother and every night Hans goes into her room and comforts her. Later Hans discovers the book and decides to teach her how to read. Then she starts to steal more books out of curiosity. Also Hitler is obviously their leader and so later on in the book they let a Jew stay in their basement... That was not a smart thing to do at that time if you know what I mean. It is pretty much just about this girls life during World War II...

I don't know about you but I LOVE learning about World War II and how it was like to live there. Surprisingly I learned some new stuff while reading this book. It was so weird how the could change people view of things that were bad so easily. I also think it was different than any other book I have read because "Death" was the narrator. It was a very interesting way to write a book.

In the back of the book somebody wrote to Mark Zusak and the person asked "How did you decide to make Death the narrator of the book?" and Mark Zusak replied, "With great difficulty! I thought, "Here's a book set during war. Everyone says war and death are best friends." Death is ever-present during war, so here was the perfect choice to narrate The Book Thief. At first, though, Death was too mean. He was supercilious, and enjoying his work too much. He'd say extremely creepy things and delight in all the souls he was picking up... and the book wasn't working. So I went to a first-person narration , a simple third-person narration... and six months later I came back to Death-- but this time , Death was to be exhausted from his eternal existence and his job. He was to be afraid of humans-- because, after all, he was there to see the obliteration we've perpetrated on each other throughout the ages--and he would now be telling this story to prove to himself that humans are actually worth it." I just thought that was a really cool idea.

Just so you know it is slow at the beggining but it does get a LOT better as the book goes on. If you don't like a sad ending this isn't really the book for you. I'm sorry but I didn't write the book I wish that he wouldn't have made the ending so sad. It is just almost unfair. Overall, it is a pretty good read. B+