The Book Thief

Zusak, M. (2005). The Book Thief. New York:  Knopf.

There have been many, many books written involving stories of children and adolescents during World War II.  Australian writer, Markus Zusak takes a different approach.  He chooses to write about a young German girl, rather than take a Jewish voice.  This fresh perspective is just what I needed for summer reading.
Frequently, we see a novel narrated by the protagonist or a third and disconnected voice.  The Book Thief is narrated by Death.  While most audiences consider Death as an antagonist in literature, Zusak's Death is an omniscient narrator with a haunting boice, who pities all involved in the horror of WWII.  Death takes a particular interest in the book thief, Liesel, and follows her throughout her life to share her story with the audience.  Since Death, for the most part, is all knowing, he uses flash forwards frequently throughout the novel.  While I enjoy foreshadowing, I honestly don't enjoy flash forwards.  I feel as though they ruin the storyline.  I know the more emotional scenes before they happen.  It's like turning to the last few pages when you haven't even made it to the middle of the book yet.  I probably would have connected to the story more had it not been for that technique.

Liesel is a foster child living near Munich.  She watches her younger brother die as they make their way to their new home.  Her brother's funeral is the last place she sees her mother and the first place she steals a book.  Liesel learns to read and connect with her foster father through her book thievery.  The book thief eventually develops relationships with the other citizens on Himmel Street and a very special Jew hidden in her basement.  It is the relationships with her father, her mother and her friends that drive the novel.  You can always learn about a character through the relationships with other characters.

The ending of The Book Thief is heartbreaking.  But I'm not spoiling anything; Death will tell you that. One thing I love about this novel is that Death says so many profound lines.  I spent much of the novel reflecting on my own thoughts.  I am glad to have read a book with such a different view point.  It is a good read for young adults. It isn't littered with teenage romance. It definitely isn't that type of book.

Related Readings:
Anne Frank:  Diary of a Young Girl
Night