The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book! I loved the way that Markus Zusak writes. I think that he is fresh and so descriptive and his reasons for writing this story made it all the more interesting. He grew up with his parents telling him stories like this and wanted to tell the mostly untold story of the German people. He is really good at characterization. It was very easy to get involved in and love the story and the characters. Leisel Meminger is the main character and the "book thief". The plot jumps around a bit throughout Liesels life but basically, Death, the narrator, sees Liesel steal her first book at her little brothers grave site. Leisel gets taken to a foster family in Molching Germany, where she meets her foster parents and her best friend Rudy. Leisel's real mother leaves and ends up dying. Leisel has no contact or details about her. Her Foster Mother is a rude and loud women. She calls Leisel a "Saumench" or something like that which means Pig in German. She yells and screams at pretty much anyone and everyone, but as Leisel gets to know her more she realizes that all the name calling is how she is showing her affection to her. Liesel seems to start to take after her in that too. Liesels Foster father is a sweet man who teaches Liesel to read and comforts her when she needs someone to hold her. He is a stronger man that he seems. He, in his quiet way, fights back against the things going on all around him, Nazism. They hide a Jew, Max Vandenburg, in thier basement who becomes another dear person in Leisels life. This book shows the struggle of a family who does not agree with treating others like most around them are. They don't like the "Furer" but are bound by his Tyranical rule and the frightening following by neighbors and friends even. Liesel and Rudy are forced to go to Hilter's Youth school and "Hiel Hilter" everywhere they go. Death sees Liesel a couple of more times until the end of the story when Molching is bombed and Leisel loses everything and everybody, including the book of her life she began writing. Death gives this book back when finally Leisel herself leaves this life years and years later.
This was such an amazing and eye opening book to the horrible things happening on both sides of the war.

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