The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Review: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak

Rating: 5/5

Genre: historical-fiction
Recommend To: fans of the Diary of Anne Frank

*Weird noises that go like this: blurghhagrggggghhhbeeeggg* Literally how I ended the book. I mean, it's obvious enough that a book set during WWII in Germany is going to be sad, but I was not expecting this. I WAS NOT READY FOR THIS. WHY DID NO ONE PREPARE ME?

I took a long time to read this book, more than a week. I read pieces at a time. This is a book that needs to be savored. Because if you go to fast, you will get to the end. You do not want to get to the end. No. Stay around the middle of the book and simply revel in soccer, stealing books, and snowmen in the basement. The end....is just too heartbreaking. 

Honestly, I wasn't sure what the big deal about the book was until the end. The writing was beautiful, the narrator was interesting, the tale of the Jews was horrifying, but I'd been confronted with it many times in school. What was it about this book that made it so special? And I realized, it's the way you become entangled in the lives of the characters. You literally walk around with Liesel and her Papa, drinking champagne in the summer, listening to an accordion. You jump into the river with Rudy Steiner and you beg, BEG for Liesel to just give him a kiss already. You live with them, hope with them, read with them, snore with them, give bread with them, play soccer with them, steal with them, and most of all...you die with them.

It's just too much at times. I was fine for most of the book. Mostly. Death....was an interesting narrator. He didn't hide things, or gloss over them, I mean he's Death. The Death. He spoiled things all the time though. There was no spoiler alert either. He'd just come out with something that would break and cripple your poor heart and soul. Yeah, Death did not have compassion for the reader. He was a brutally, honest narrator.

I don't know what else to say. I could go on all day I guess, but I don't want to. I just want to curl up somewhere and sleep for a while. This book takes a lot out of you. I love Hans Hubermann. I love Rosa Hubermann. I love Rudy Steiner. I love Ilsa Hermann. I love Max Vandenburg. I love Jesse Owens. I love Liesel Meminger. I love this book. 

Occasionally I will probably think about this book and cry a little. But I'm so glad I read it.