The Book Thief

I just finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, an audiobook and here are my musings.


Liesel is standing by her brother's grave when she sees it.... A book. The gravedigger's handbook. The book that starts off her love for book theft. It's 1939 and death has never been busier

Liesel begins her love for words and books with her foster family, a couple who have the heart of angels. They dangerously hide a jew in the basement even when they have little to give. Liesel learns what it's like to live, love, learn and all the losses that come between it, while death watches from the wings.

I had no idea if this was going to be a book I was going to enjoy when I first started. I know people rave about this book but I guess I wasn't really sold on the concept of it and while I hate being proved wrong, this book really was everything people said it was and more.

The characters the author carefully constructed were incredible. Liesel didn't let anything stand in her way, even after all the loss at such a young age. Watching her learn to read and the comforts she found within the pages, well every bookworm can attest to the feeling of safety and contentment a book can bring even in the darkest of our days.

I really enjoyed the POV of death as well. The way he lived in wonderment of the living. I also wasn't expecting the book to be funny as well as emotionally devastating. Maybe it was just the narrator but man, was I chuckling. The author did a phenomenal job of giving us the narrative of what it was like for the German people during the time of war and how most of them didn't agree with what was going on but felt they had no voices either.

It was brilliant. Simple perfection. I am so glad I took the time to give into the hype that surrounded this book and I am a better person for reading it.

5 stars. I would love to be an etch-a-sketch, reading this book again for the first time would be magical.

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