The Book Thief Stole My Heart

Book Rating:  Five Stars
                        Picture provided by Amazon.com

When I first started reading this book, I was not sure I would ever get through it. Why? Well, why would anyone want to read a book that is narrated by death! The format was also a little difficult for me at first. The author would add little pieces of information right in the middle of the chapter in a completely different format and sometimes the information did not even pertain to what was being discussed in the chapter. Whatever was the author thinking!

The book is set in Nazi Germany during World War II. The main character is a little girl named Liesel Meminger who is sent by her mother to live with foster parents. Leisel soon settles in to her new life, even making a few friends and growing to care about the couple that has taken her in. The book gets really interesting when Max, a jew, comes to live in their home. I will give no more details as I don't want to give anything away!

As I worked my way through the book, I quickly realized that death made perfect sense as the narrator. After all, the book is set in Nazi Germany when death was a constant for anyone that was not German or part of the Nazi regime. Even Germans were constantly looking over their shoulders wondering if they would soon do something that would cause their untimely death. And, as death points out, the deaths occurring were senseless and hard for many to understand, including death himself.

The author takes a different approach in explaining what was happening in Germany during the time of the Nazi regime. I think it is a great idea to describe the years through the eyes of death as well as from the perspective of a child.

Although I was skeptical at first, I quickly grew to love the book and could not wait to pick it up every night to see what trouble Rudy and Liesel would find themselves in next. The book is not a happy, feel good book, although it does have its moments, but I don't think you can expect that from a book set in WWII. It is a book that makes you think about life and how precious every life is, no matter the color or creed.

When I first started reading this book, I was not sure I would ever get through it. Why? Well, why would anyone want to read a book that is narrated by death! The format was also a little difficult for me at first. The author would add little pieces of information right in the middle of the chapter in a completely different format and sometimes the information did not even pertain to what was being discussed in the chapter. Whatever was the author thinking!

The book is set in Nazi Germany during World War II. The main character is a little girl named Liesel Meminger who is sent by her mother to live with foster parents. Leisel soon settles in to her new life, even making a few friends and growing to care about the couple that has taken her in. The book gets really interesting when Max, a jew, comes to live in their home. I will give no more details as I don't want to give anything away!

As I worked my way through the book, I quickly realized that death made perfect sense as the narrator. After all, the book is set in Nazi Germany when death was a constant for anyone that was not German or part of the Nazi regime. Even Germans were constantly looking over their shoulders wondering if they would soon do something that would cause their untimely death. And, as death points out, the deaths occurring were senseless and hard for many to understand, including death himself.

The author takes a different approach in explaining what was happening in Germany during the time of the Nazi regime. I think it is a great idea to describe the years through the eyes of death as well as from the perspective of a child.

Although I was skeptical at first, I quickly grew to love the book and could not wait to pick it up every night to see what trouble Rudy and Liesel would find themselves in next. The book is not a happy, feel good book, although it does have its moments, but I don't think you can expect that from a book set in WWII. It is a book that makes you think about life and how precious every life is, no matter the color or creed.