Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

     Markus Zusak narrates through the character of death the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl in Nazi Germany during the period of the Holocaust. Because of her depressing feelings after the death of her brother and separation from her mother, she starts stealing books. Through the novel, her thieving progresses. It's a habit. She can't stop.

    All is right on Himmel Street until the Hubermans take in a very risky guest: Max Vandenburg. Hiding him is crucial. He cannot be found. They must not tell anyone of their concealing of him. Their lives rest in their secrecy. Can they do it?

Read to find out!

Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

"'The Book Thief' is perched on the cusp between grown-up and young-adult fiction, and it is loaded with librarian appeal. It deplores human misery. It celebrates the power of language. It may encourage adolescents to read. It has an element of the fanciful. And it's a book that bestows a self-congratulatory glow upon anyone willing to grapple with it." ~ Janet Maslin

"This is a beautifully balanced piece of storytelling with glimpses of what is yet to come: sometimes misleading, sometimes all too true. We meet all shades of German, from truly committed Nazis to the likes of Hans Hubermann. Zusak is no apologist, but able to give a remarkable insight into the human psyche." ~ Philip Ardagh


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