etopiei's review against another edition
5.0
Many years ago I saw 'The Book Thief' movie, and I remember it being wonderful. It's only now that I see how much more the book delivers. It's packed to brim with heart, and tells an intriguing and beautiful story on the backdrop of a terrible time in history. One of the best books I've read.
books_and_planners's review against another edition
4.0
Pop sugar reading challenge: a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
4.5 stars*
It is hard to find the words to describe this book, when it is so beautifully written & the power of words is so present in this story. I wasn’t sure of the writing style at first, but once I realized who the narrator was, it made sense. How are you supposed to feel about a book that you know will not end well, but you’re not sure how it all happens? I can say that I was shocked by the outcome for two of the characters. Pleasantly shocked. This book made me laugh, cry & hold my breath at times. I loved Liesel. Such a strong willed girl & a lover of books. I would like to think if I was alive in Germany during that time period that I’d be a lot like her. The relationship between her & her foster father is just beautiful and genuine. I loved that. If you read the Nightingale, you’ll like this book & vice versa. I still think I like the Nightingale more, but The Book Thief was a great read also. I have this fascination with WWII & stories from & about people that lived during that era.
4.5 stars*
It is hard to find the words to describe this book, when it is so beautifully written & the power of words is so present in this story. I wasn’t sure of the writing style at first, but once I realized who the narrator was, it made sense. How are you supposed to feel about a book that you know will not end well, but you’re not sure how it all happens? I can say that I was shocked by the outcome for two of the characters. Pleasantly shocked. This book made me laugh, cry & hold my breath at times. I loved Liesel. Such a strong willed girl & a lover of books. I would like to think if I was alive in Germany during that time period that I’d be a lot like her. The relationship between her & her foster father is just beautiful and genuine. I loved that. If you read the Nightingale, you’ll like this book & vice versa. I still think I like the Nightingale more, but The Book Thief was a great read also. I have this fascination with WWII & stories from & about people that lived during that era.
mcrammal's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book will always have a special place in my heart. The perspective is very unique and makes you view life differently. It’s interesting seeing how the war must have seemed like to a young girl who was disconnected from the realities of it until it started showing up on her doorstep and how both her past and her foster parents helped her make the decisions that she did. As a reader and writer myself, I could also relate to her love of books.
anna_carp's review against another edition
5.0
i can’t recommend this more than anything else in the world.
basically I don’t have feelings anymore. im numb.
sad
basically I don’t have feelings anymore. im numb.
sad
dellapikmin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
joliendelandsheer's review against another edition
5.0
Spoilerfree review
When I borrowed this book from the library, I was so excited and couldn't wait to start reading. I was definitely not disappointed.
The reason for my excitement was the number of glowing reviews this book has gotten all over the community. People said it reduced them to tears and moved them.
When I started reading myself, I knew this book was going to be different from everything I've read so far. First of all, it is told through the perspective of Death, which we all have to admit is awesome. The way Death talked about the souls collected during the War really makes you think about the amount of innocent people that have lost their lives.
The second thing that is remarkable about this book is that it talks about all the gruesome things committed by the NSDAP (Nazi Party) but isn't gruesome on its own. It doesn't talk about the torture details or what happened to the Jews in the concentration camps. That is basically what you are taught at school: how Hitler rose to power, how the Germans basically blamed everything on the Jews and so on. While this book certainly didn't omit what happened, it was told in a sort of, softer way, which made everything seem even more unfair and horrible.
Maybe it is so different because it was about a little girl, but whatever it was you could really see what the World War II did to families, even German ones.
Definitely recommend this book to everyone.
When I borrowed this book from the library, I was so excited and couldn't wait to start reading. I was definitely not disappointed.
The reason for my excitement was the number of glowing reviews this book has gotten all over the community. People said it reduced them to tears and moved them.
When I started reading myself, I knew this book was going to be different from everything I've read so far. First of all, it is told through the perspective of Death, which we all have to admit is awesome. The way Death talked about the souls collected during the War really makes you think about the amount of innocent people that have lost their lives.
The second thing that is remarkable about this book is that it talks about all the gruesome things committed by the NSDAP (Nazi Party) but isn't gruesome on its own. It doesn't talk about the torture details or what happened to the Jews in the concentration camps. That is basically what you are taught at school: how Hitler rose to power, how the Germans basically blamed everything on the Jews and so on. While this book certainly didn't omit what happened, it was told in a sort of, softer way, which made everything seem even more unfair and horrible.
Maybe it is so different because it was about a little girl, but whatever it was you could really see what the World War II did to families, even German ones.
Definitely recommend this book to everyone.
rfelt's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! An incredible read. It was really hyped up so I had high expectations but was also very critical of it. I loved the perspective of the narrator--so different than anything I had ever read and it was so poignant and beautiful from death's perspective. I loved that narrator. Also, Zusak's writing was incredible because, given the subject matter, you know something bad's going to happen. Also he drops huge hints all along the way, leaving nothing to surprise (except for the epilogue) and therefore I thought I wouldn't be brought to tears. His masterful writing in the last few chapters had me trying to muffle my sobs at midnight when all my roommates were asleep! The writing was amazing that despite what I already knew, it still came as a shock and a terrible pain. This is a book I will definitely read again and would recommend it to anyone! It had quite a few swears, more than necessary (although many were in German) but that was it's only fault. On a subject that feels maybe a little exhausted or not new or fresh, it was an inspiring, refreshing read! I really loved it.
loveathena98's review against another edition
5.0
I saw the movie first,knew what was going to happen,and I cried anyway.That means it's pretty well written in my book.Pun intended.
elsbe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0