The Book Thief (SO GOOD)

I just got back from my aunt's house. It was great to see most of my father's side of the family since I don't do that very often. There I watched The Lego Movie for the first time. As a result, I am suffering from a serious case of EIA. I have the theme song, "Everything is Awesome" in my head. This time it's worse because I only know the first two lines in the chorus. Ever since yesterday night, I've been singing,  "Everything is awesome. Everything is cool when you're part of a team..." BUT... I still found the strength to write this book review.

Over the week of Super Summer, I finished an amazing book called The Book Thief. I had been wanting to read the book for some time, but I never got the chance. I ended up watching the movie, which was heartbreaking. The book turned out to be much more than I ever imagined it would be,

Plot: It's just a small story really, about, among other things, a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist: books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids - as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. (Taken from Goodreads)

What I LOVED: There was so much to adore about this book. The characters. Every character was special in their own way. I can't even decide which was my favorite. They all spoke to me because they all had unique voices and different outlooks on life. It was so deep and amazing.

I saw the Germans, living while they were being practically controlled by their cruel leader. In the midst of all that killing and hatred, there were good people, people brave enough to do what was right. The book was narrated by Death. That might sound weird, but it was surprisingly interesting. I loved how Lisel's longing to read, to learn. Not only did I relate to her, but I saw how I take books and words for granted. I have tons of books, but in that time, books were hard to find.

It recognized the power of words. I didn't really understand why they were highlighting the whole stealing thing, but then I read this conversation between Rudy and Lisel about how Lisel steals books from the mayor. Both characters had many family members taken from them in some way by the government. "It feels good, doesn't it?" Rudy said. "To steal something back." Before that, I thought they were just stealing for the fun of it. It doesn't justify it, but it made me see it in a different light.

None of the book is light. Most of it is heavy, but it didn't beat around the bush. It showed the cruelty without blinking. It was to the point.

What I didn't like: Hmm... there wasn't really anything, expect for the profanity. There was a lot of cuss words. At first, it bugged me, but then my dad told me that it was a stressful time for them. So it made sense. Also, they take God's name in vain... in various ways.

Content: The book wasn't full of violence, but a significant amount. It describes fights and the Germans treated the Jews. (That was intense) Plus, one chapter talks about boys being naked and it's mentioned a few times. As I mentioned above, there were a lot of cuss words. Just about every one you think of, excluding the f word and the five letter b word. (C word too)

Conclusion: Okay, this book was amazing. The Book Thief ripped my heart out and stomped on it.. There were many heartbreaking scenes, but it made me think. If you read it, brace yourself. I highly encourage you to. Just keep in mind that it is very heavy.