Springville Library Book Nook

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
review by Dona Gay

Brilliant! Death is the narrator and a major player in this book about World War II. Zusak does an amazing job of exposing his characters one layer at a time. He circles around his plot and characters, drawing the reader in closer and closer. He forges relationships for the reader with all of the characters, even very minor ones. The main character is Liesel. She is a young German girl who is sent to live with foster parents when her mother can no longer care for her. The narrator relates some of her experiences as she grows up during the war. He also allows us to see snatches of other people's lives. It is a work of art.
There is a lot of swearing in the book that would have typically put me off but it fits here in the midst of a war and a world gone mad. I loved this book. I used to buy books willy nilly but now I seldom buy them. This, however, is a book I want on my shelf. I want my children to read it. I want my siblings to read it. I want my friends to read it. I am thinking of stealing it in honor of the book thief. Do you know any reclusive mayor's wives with grand libraries that would be okay with me stealing this book? (That wasn't a spoiler it was a tease to get you to want to read this book.)Oh, by the way, there is more than one book thief. See if you can figure out who the other one is.(less)