The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It's funny how I came to buy this book...I first read the back cover of it at Kino when it was placed in the Recommended section. The description intrigued me, but I wasn't too sure if I wanted to buy it. So I left.

But after that, I couldn't quite forget the book...To say that it was haunting me is a bit extreme, but I guess I just had a niggly feeling that it would be a good read. I made up my mind to buy it. Problem was, I couldn't remember the title nor the author. Just that the book cover was brown, and it was a book on WWII narrated by Death. Sheesh.
Anyway, I finally found it months later at Kino once more. I'm really glad I bought it. What a wonderful book it's turned out to be.

Death, the narrator, tells the story of young Liesel Meminger, the book thief. She lives with her foster parents in a small town in Germany during the war. Liesel is a very endearing character. As you make your way through the book, she seems like someone you'd know personally. A curious girl with a love for books. A strong-willed girl with her own fears and insecurities. A girl with a beautiful heart who dearly values family and friendship.

Though the story centres around the life of Liesel, it is Death's side commentary that stands out. I would imagine Death to be an impassive and unfeeling entity. One that does not need emotion, why be bogged down by such a thing when his job is simply to take away the souls of humans who have died? Yet in many instances, I'd feel a breath of sadness blow across my skin every time Death speaks of the atrocities of the war. Implicitly, he remarks in cold honesty the folly of humans and the savagery of the conflict.

Even Death could feel the sky turn grey with sorrow.
Words from an outsider never rang so true.

Is 10/10 too much? I wonder, cos it makes the book sound like it's perfect. But at the moment, I don't think I can award anything less.