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Book Review of The Book Thief

The Book Thief
debs avatar reviewed on + 642 more book reviews


When I saw that this was about Nazi Germany, at first I didn't want to read it. The holocaust stories upset me so tremendously. But I read some of the reviews here and found that it was written from a different point of view, so I gave it a try. I'm not saying that the book is all roses and sweetness; but it is a powerful story with so many layers and elements of truth that I just couldn't stay away from it. The story of Liesel could be the story of any German child growing up in that era. The narrator of the story is Death Himself, but as he describes himself he is not the hooded image with the sickle. I got the feeling that this narrator was doing a job he was assigned during a difficult period, and he had some compassion for those he 'carried away'. The Book Thief will make you smile and it will bring tears to your eyes; it's a story you won't soon forget.