Reviews

The Book Thief

By Markus Zusak

Written By Riya, Age 12, England

“When death captures me,” the boy vowed, “he will feel my fist on his face.”

Personally, I quite like that. Such stupid gallantry.

Yes.

I like that a lot.

Set in Germany, during World War 2, The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel, narrated by Death, who has in his possession the book she wrote about many years ago. 

The book is the story of the childhood of Liesel, after she loses her brother to illness, father to war and she is separated from her mother and send to the modest homes of Hans and Rosa Hubermann, her adoptive parents. 

At the funeral of her brother, her age only 8 years, Liesel steals her first book, "The Gravedigger's Handbook", left there by accident. From there begins her love with books, with the help of her accordion playing foster father she learns to read and enjoy the delight of a book. 

Soon she is stealing books from the Nazi book-burnings and mayor's wife's library to quench her thirst for knowledge. 

She settles in fast with the Hubermanns and soon with her new best friend- Rudy- she learns to enjoy her life, with what little she has. 

When her foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is opened up and closed down. Will she be able to hide this secret? 

This is a heart-warming book, which opens up a new perspective on life during the war, but beware it is not for the faint hearted!