Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I'm so glad I ended up enjoying this book. I will be honest, I was scared off for a long time because of the hype surrounding this book. I was afraid that I wouldn't like it and that made me hesitant when I first got started reading it, but I ended up loving it.
Summary
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.
By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.
After reading a little of the beginning, I continued to be scared off because the plot started off slow. What I mean by this is that it was a lot of building: world building, character building, etc. which is probably what ended up making this book so good, so I guess it works out. Despite this slow beginning, I was still interested and intrigued by the story and the characters, so I continued.
Everything else about this book is phenomenal. The one thing that stood out to me was the narration. The story would've been completely different had the narrator not been death or the grim reaper, however you choose to interpret it, it added this whole other character or being almost that made the book that much more enjoyable for me. I loved hearing it's perspective or thoughts on the variety of situations that occurred. I like how by the end, it stepped on Hitler's picture while walking out of the shop. (That one made me laugh amidst the all around sadness).
Liesel. My baby. She is so pure despite being the Book Thief. Her relationship with Hans is precious and it holds a special place in my heart, as do her relationships with Max and Rudy, but especially Hans. It was the one that had me crying the most at the end.
Overall, I could try and explain every little detail of what I loved about this book but I know I wouldn't do it justice. It's just phenomenal and I'm still fully processing the ending and my heart is hurting in the best way.
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