The Book Thief, is going to want to make you, steal this book.

The Book Thief    By Eve St. Claire

“It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has

never been busier, and will become busier still.”

---PLOT---

           

            When Liesel Meminger lifted The Grave Diggers Handbook, out of the

snow, by her brothers gravesite, she was a nine year old illiterate in Nazi,

Germany. But, with the help of her foster father, she learns that words

have power. And that sharing those words could overpower any of the

hardships in her miserable life. Liesel’s passion for books, ties her to others

including the mayor’s insane wife, her foster father Hans Hubermann, and

Max, the Jewish fist fighter her family hides in the basement. This is a tale

of courage, love, friendship, death and grief - from Death’s point of view.

---MY OPINION---

            Zusak’s mastery of the language is stunning. The fact that death

narrated the book was both gripping and chilling. Rarely have I read a

book as profound, and moving as this one. It will move you to laughter and

tears, for me mostly at the same time. Zusak often defies the rules of

grammar and writing but does so in such a way that makes it even more

powerful. As wonderful as the writing was, it was a bit hard to

get through the beginning, it just didn’t draw me in. I thought that he

could have developed some of the characters more thoroughly.  The only

one who changed throughout the book was Mama. Despite these miner

flaws I absolutely loved this book. I rate this book $ $ $ $ $ out of $ $ $ $ $.

---CONTENT---

(---SPOILER ALERT!---)

            The book presents some moral and ethical discrepancies when Rudy

and Liesel decide to steal from various farmers and rob a boy on his bike.

There is continued usage of the words “S**t” in both German and English,

and “D**n”  they playfully use the words “A**” in German and English. At

one point a thieving teenage boy calls Liesel a “S***” and a “W****” I

definitely wouldn’t recommend this book for anyone under 13.

(---SPOILER ALERT---)

Rudy dies L

---CREDITS---

The Book Thief is By Markus Zusak.

Published by Alfred A. Knopf / New York randomhouse.com/teens