Review Time! #1

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Overview from goodreas:

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

I re-read this book for english for our belonging topic that we are currently studying. While many may think that it is wierd for the narrator to be 'death' but it works. The book brings in the facts of what Nazi Germany was like at the time, the deaths of the Jews, the regin of Hitler, the poverty that  was happening to the German people and what will happen if you hide a Jew.

The book I will admit that it is sad, but it is the truth. The main character Liesel struggles with what Germay is becoming, she hates Hitler, feels sorry for the Jews and her best friend wants to be Jesse Owens. She isn't a normal German girl. In Hitlers eyes they should love him, hate Jews and no one should want to be a black American. When Liesel steals books she does it because she loves to read, she steals from the mayors wife only to realise that she should write a book, a book that she loses the day the world ends in her eyes. Death carries the book until he can return it to her.

The life of Liesel in time of war wasn't great, but she does learn about who she is. She defys what people think of Germans during this time and shows the side of the goodness that some people during the time had.

Rate: 5/5