The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, is a historical fiction novel set during Nazi Germany. Markus Zusak, the author, is known for other books, such as I Am The Messenger. He has been writing for fourteen years and gets most of his ideas from his own mind, when he stops and thinks about things. He got his inspiration for The Book Thief from his grandmother’s stories from when she lived in Nazi Germany.

            The Book Thief is about a young girl who was brought to Nazi Germany just prior to World War II. The girl, Liesel, is given to some foster parents, named the Hubermanns, in Molching. There she meets some kids who also live in Molching, and they play around and go to school, the average kid’s life. Liesel learns to steal books and reads them and it becomes her guilty pleasure. Then, WWII hits Germany, and a Jew seeks refuge in the Hubermanns house. The story develops from there and becomes very interesting.

            The characters are very engaging and believable. Liesel, for example, perfectly describes a child trapped in Nazi Germany during WWII. Her confusion, sense of hopelessness and loss, all contribute to the real feeling of this book. The characters are also very well described in their features and personalities. When reading this book, a person understands Liesel’s personality and reads along, understanding how Liesel feels according to certain things.

            This book has very great imagery and is historically accurate. It also has very believable characters, which makes for a very great story and it just sucks you in. It gets people thinking about WWII and the things that happened there, and leaves you with a genuine feeling. High and low points of the war come out in this book, which makes it a great read.

            I would rate this book four stars out of five, since it was very engaging and interesting, yet I have read better. People who enjoy WWII novels or people who enjoy a long, interesting read would probably love this book and should pick it up. I would totally recommend it to a friend.

Genre:  Historical Fiction, WWII

Reviewed by:  Alex Mulford

Teacher:  Mara Pufko