The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (my review, feedback please)

[Insightsintobooks]

Hello, I wrote this review as a kind of test to myself before I do one for the book review team and I am wondering if I can get feedback on the review please.


The Book Thief* by Markus Zusak is narrated by death, yes death narrates this story. It is actually fairly interesting to have death narrate a story. I've never read a story where death is the narrator. It's quite interesting as in the beginning the narrator sees things by their colors, white, black, and red. We also get to see things from his perspective. It's interesting that God doesn't answer death either.

Narrator aside, this is a story about Liesel, the girl who steals books from fires and gravesites among other places as well. At the beginning of this story the book thief doesn't even know how to read. Why would someone who doesn't know how to read steal a book? Well, that's where Hans Hubermann , her foster father, painter, and accordion player come in. The accordion plays a part later in the story. There is also Max. Max is hiding in a basement, because well, he's Jewish and in Nazi Germany. Max comes to play an important albeit somewhat of a fearful part in Liesel's life. There is also her friend Ruddy, who is an interesting character himself, and her partner in crime. These two are required to attend Hitler Youth meetings, much to Ruddy's dismay.

I really liked the characters in this book and think that it developed well. I found it very interesting that it was narrated by death as I think it gave the book a different perspective from others of its kind. While I enjoyed this book I do wish that the book thief herself, would have taken more books from fires. Why do I want to put Liesel in danger? I don't, I just think that it would have been a good snub at the Nazis to steal books that they meant to destroy.

There are many twists in this book and some keep you holding your breath hoping everything turns out alright. This book taught me a few things, among them how to curse in German.

The characters in this book develop well and grow throughout the book. We are given snippets of subplots and they interplay well with the main plot.

This book will make you see things and question things you might not have. It also shows life from the point of a young non Jewish girl during the war which to me was new. I think this book would be great for anyone who likes books and historical fiction as well.

Thank you

[Dh_]

I'm new to the review team as well, so I don't know how useful my opinion is, but I think you did a pretty good job. I think you have to say your rating of the book, though (out of 4 stars).