The Book Thief- Markus Zuzak

The Book Thief is a heart-stirring, mind-blowing novel that I picked up in a bookstore by chance. It caught my eye mainly because of the interesting, spiky title print and the picture of dominos being pushed over by a finger on the cover. I fell in love with The Book Thief as soon as I read the inside cover.
The Book Thief is a story about Nazi Germany in World War II. Narrated by Death, this novel tells the story of a foster girl named Liesel Meminger, who gets placed in a home in the town of Molching, Germany. Her foster mother, a laundry woman with a dirty mouth, enjoys spitting on customers’ doorways as she does her rounds. Liesel’s foster father, Papa, is quiet, and would rather roll a cigarette and play his accordian than trifle in the gossip of the community. Liesel also makes a best friend named Rudy. Rudy’s hobbies include pretending to be Jessie Owens, stealing food from local farmers, and mocking the old woman who owns the candy shop. Rudy also loves to play street soccer, and soon Liesel finds herself involved in the game as well. During many sleepless nights after having nightmares about her dead brother, Liesel learns how to read. This create an addiction she unlike anything she has ever felt before. Liesel soon makes a living for herself in by stealing books. Her main targets include the mayor’s wife’s library, freezing rivers, and even Nazi book-burnings. Liesel shares her books during bombing raids, with her Papa late at night, and with the Jewish man hiding in their basement.
Liesel’s family puts themselves in extreme danger- they are hiding a Jew in their basement. His name is Max, and he dreams writes stories and paints skies on the basement walls to keep himself busy after months of no fresh air. Liesel and Max soon become friends, and she enjoys reading to him and describing what the sky looks like. He, in turn, enjoys drawing her pictures and making her books out of old newspapers.
One thing I didn’t like about this novel was the ending. It was extremely heart-breaking, and I actually found myself tearing up in sympathy for Liesel. The truth behind the ending, though sad, shows the realistic horrors of the War, and helps readers understand that even though many were saved, so many more were not.
I really liked this novel for several reasons. First, the plot line and the characters introduced made The Book Thief an interesting story. Second, the suspense and the emotions throughout the book tugged at me and I couldn’t seem to put the book down. Third, I found it really interesting to hear about World War II behind the German lines. It helped me realize that the assumption that all Germans were Nazis was false; most Germans hated the Nazis and were forced to submit or die. Last, there were some really humorous parts that lightened the dark reality of the novel and made The Book Thief even more fun to read.