The Book Theif by Marcus Zusak is a historical fiction book set during WWII. Although it is a holocaust book, it isn’t set from the traditional perspective nor does it follow the traditional characters. Told from the perspective of Death itself, The Book Theif follows the story of Liesel, a young German girl. She was sent to live with a foster family, the Hubermanns. At the start of the story, Liesel was 9 years old. Her father, whom she never knew, was a communist, and her mother was giving Leisel and her brother to the Humbermanns for their safety.
SPOILER BELOW
At her brother’s funeral, Liesel finds a book in the snow. The Grave Digger’s Handbook. She takes it. Liesel doesn’t know how to read but this book is still meaningful to her, so she hides it and keeps it. Although Liesel steals a few more books over the course of the book, and it is even the title of the book, this is not the most important aspect of the plot. The Humbermans get into a dangerous situation involving (SPOILER ALERT) hiding a Jew in their basement, to pay back a debt and protect him from the Nazis. Max, the Jew, and Liesel become good friends, and rely on each other for company and to survive the war.
Overall, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book. My summary was not good enough to describe this book. I can’t even put into words how good it is. Warning: if you are looking for a short, easy, light read this is not for you. It is a long, heavy, and emotional book but it is worth it. Although the beginning is confusing and slow (I skipped the prologue the second time I read it) don’t give up on this book. Trust me, it’s worth it. I would give it 4.5 stars because other than the prologue it was one of the best books I have ever read. I know I said this before, but read this book. It is definitely worth it.