The Book Thief by Markus ZusakAfter being recommended this read by a couple of friends, and seeing the hype surrounding the recently released film I thought it was about time I got stuck in! The Book Thief is a novel about a girl called Liesel who, after seeing her brother die and taking a book left by the men digging his grave, becomes fascinated with books and learning to read. She is put into foster care with Hans and Rosa Hubermann, who help her in her literary quest. The novel tells the story of Liesel, her foster parents Rosa and Hans, their Jewish acquaintance (and soon friend) Max, and Liesel's friend Rudy - among many others, and how they cope with living in Nazi Germany. The thing that makes this book different from others of its type, is that it is narrated by Death. It took me a few chapters to get my head around the perspective, and I don't think these initial chapters do a great job at enticing you into the story! But, do persevere. I enjoyed The Book Thief, but felt like I never really got fully submerged in the story. I know others who completely loved it and really got into the plot and characters, and although to an extent I did, there was something just slightly missing for me. Maybe if I had read it on holiday or in a shorter time-frame (rather than every other night when I was able to keep my eyes open past 930pm!) I might have enjoyed it more. Nonetheless, it is definitely worth a read - I liked the characters, different perspective and reading about WW2 from an alternative angle.
