Book Club Friday: "The Book Thief"

Source

Description From Amazon:

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.

My Review:

This book was not what I expected. Then again, I picked it up on many recommendations without knowing what to expect. As I started reading, I had a hard time getting interested in the story and the characters. It was told from a strange point of view (although it makes sense later), and the writing style was just different. But I was determined to stick with it. And I'm glad I did. After the first 100 pages, I was hooked. I could not put it down. I had to know what happened to Liesel and Rudy and Max. I ended up reading the remaining 450 pages in just two sittings. It's a story that's both heartbreaking and uplifting. So much bad but also so much good. And very heavy for a young adult book. 

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After reading "Gone Girl," "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and "The Book Thief" in succession, I think I need to check out a few lighter selections.  They were all great, but ... wow ... heavy.