Please welcome Sheila, from One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, as this week's Guest Reviewer.
******************* The Book Thief — Marcus Zusak
This is a Young Adult book that my book club just read and I thought it was fascinating. YA may like it because the narrator of this book is Death himself.
"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 have come to a point in my life long journey through books that I truly enjoy books that are out of the norm… you know, an author who takes an idea out of left field and molds it into a tale that tantalizes the brain, that stimulates the outer reaches of your mind…..this is such a tale…. and this is exactly what drew me to The Book Thief. Yet another book that waited patiently on my book shelf, I am sure it was the title that interested me first. It has to do with books…. and not only that, but a main character with a strong desire of needing to steal books. Interesting… But that’s not all! Flip the book over and you find out it is told from the perspective of Death. Now that’s different. Like I said earlier, it is written from the perspective of Death. And in this case, Death has taken an interest in a young girl who’s brother had died and she, Liesel, is now under the care of foster parents. It is 1939; Nazi Germany, and Hitler is in his full reign. As Death narrates the story, sometimes jumping ahead to share the long term (or in some cases short term) outcome of people in Liesel’s life, I became so entangled in the weave that I frequently forget the narrator and his role. I found the book fascinating and I could get the feel of the times, the level of poverty, the act of stealing just to be fed…. even if that feeding is in the form of literature. I could relate to that and can not imagine what a life would be like not having the written word available to you freely. I too, could relate to the desperation of our Book Thief. I really enjoyed the read. It is nothing like I have read before and I loved the story line. The book was beautifully written and I am still sitting here in high respect for Markus Zusak's style in which he wrote a book, that, as of this date, is my favorite of the year, perhaps in my top ten of all time reads.
******************* Thank you so much, Sheila! What a great review! If anyone else has a great book to recommend to high school students, please email me (my profile has the address). Check out this post for more information on how to become a guest reviewer.
Please remember to check out Sheila's blog, One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, and share some book love. To Sheila's original review, in my blog.
Thanks again, Sheila! I will be sure to add this to my huge book list!
