The Book Thief- Markus Zusak BOOK TALK

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm not a massive fan of historical fiction but this book still managed to pull me in. I loved the writing style as it was so unique and flowed really nicely throughout the novel.
The Book Thief follows a young girl called Liesel Meminger through pivotal years in World War Two. It follows her journey as she settles into her new home and makes new relationships. The book centres around, mainly, Liesel, an accordionist, a Jewish fist-fighter and a lot of thievery.
Oh, and one last thing- the story is narrated by Death.
If you haven't already this beauty of a novel then I highly suggest you become acquainted with it. Quickly.
That's it for the non-spoiler section. Go read it and then you can come back!

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
This book in all honesty surprised me. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction but this story captivated me. My favourite periods of time to read about is the Titanic story and World War Two. This story, falling in the latter group, was incredibly interesting.

One very unique aspect of it that I enjoyed was that it was narrated by Death. Not only was this unique but it was also very entertaining. Despite who he was, I really liked Death. He was a witty and humorous character but also had a very deep and emotional side that I liked. He told Liesel's story so well and I think the story benefited from having it narrated in Death's point of view.
There was one aspect of this book that was very powerful but I still don't know how I feel about it. Death had a nice habit of spoiling the reader of the deaths to come. This made me so incredibly sad because I didn't want anyone to die and knowing before it happened put me very much on edge. However, I do think it was a smart move because it made the whole thing more powerful because you were expecting it. I was also left guessing when they would die. In every action scene I was on the edge of my seat to find out whether this part was when they would die.
I loved Liesel's book thieveries as they were entertaining and tense. I was constantly thinking that she would get caught! I admire Liesel so much for everything she goes through in this book and she still manages to fight for what she believes in.
Out of all the characters, and there were so many good ones, my favourite had to be Hans. He was the most supportive dad in the world! He stayed up to read to her every single night! I loved his relationship with Liesel and thought that he was such a selfless and kind man. When Hans gave the bread to the Jew in the parade, I literally wanted to hug him! He knows what's unjust, he disagrees with it and he does something about it! It may be something small but he still does it despite the consequences of it. I love and respect Hans for everything he did in this book! I cried when he had to go to war and was saying goodbye to Liesel. (I cried a lot in this book).
I also really liked Max. I think it was really necessary for Max to be in Liesel's life because, what with all the bad reputations going around about Jews, it really showed her that she shouldn't judge a whole race on other's opinion. Liesel and Max's friendship was extremely beneficial to each other and it was unbelievably sweet and heart-warming to read about.
And then, at the end, when Max comes back to her and everyone's dead and they collapse in a hug, crying... That made my heart hurt so much...
Rudy was another of my favourite characters- how could he not be? Rudy was amazing! I was so sad when I found out that he would die! And without a kiss? The whole story really broke my heart. I was crying when Liesel was telling him that she loved him when he was dead.
There were so many other amazing characters and it would take too long to appreciate and talk about them all.
Some of my favourite moments:
- When Rosa came into Liesel's school and told her off because Liesel had told her that every one would believe her. Rosa actually had come to tell her that Max was awake.
-The Jesse Owens Incident
- When Hans gave the bread to the Jew
- When Liesel and Rudy gave the bread to the Jews
And, of course, I have to talk about the ending!!! This ending broke my heart! I was expecting someone to die but not everybody! I was crying at Liesel and Max's loss. It was devastating, though I was happy that Isla (the Mayor's wife) adopted Liesel- I thought that was sweet, at least.
I was sobbing so much at the ending. It ruined me.

Overall, I thought this book was so powerful and amazing. It's by far my favourite historical fiction book I've read- although I haven't read many.
Thanks for reading. See you soon,
Chloe