The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This book has received a LOT of attention from movie buffs and readers alike.  It was top of the New York Time's Bestseller list for weeks and was turned into a movie very quickly.  I was recommended the story by multiple friends, and I've always been interested in Holocaust books, so I checked it out from the library immediately.

The story is about a girl named Liesel, who is adopted by a family outside of Munich, Germany during WWII.  Her Papa is a painter that plays the accordion, and her Mama does washing for the wealthier people in town.  Liesel had stolen a book before she got to their house, and her Papa starts to teach her to read.  Meanwhile, the son of an old friend shows up at their door.  He is a Jew, and he needs a place to hide.  Liesel is busy with school and the Young Hitler club that all children are required to be a part of.  Her best friend is her next door neighbor, Rudy.  He is constantly trying to get her to kiss him, and is famous for painting himself black and running through the town as Jesse Owens.  Death follows them as they make their way through WWII.

The first thing to catch you off guard about the story is the narrator.  The entire story is narrated by Death.  Not only does this give an ominous air to the entire book, but allows you to see things through a completely different perspective.  He is often busy and goes to war zones to collect souls, but he has taken an interest in the book thief (Liesel) and follows her around as well.  He also says things that catch you off guard when talking about people, like "I came for his soul just a few months later" or "I wouldn't collect her soul for years."  At one point in reading the book, you know the fate of many of the characters and you're just waiting for it to happen.  It really pulls you in and makes it hard to stop reading.

I think the movie is going to be great.  The story was great.  One thing that people may not like is the honesty of the story.  This takes place during war time in Germany, so it's not your typical happy ending, everyone gets their way type book.   It's fiction, but the fate of the characters and the lives they lead lend a very non fiction feel to the whole story.  It's not hard to imagine real streets in Germany following the same plot as this story.  While that may deter some people, it certainly adds to the story and keeps your attention.

<3, jacq