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bookishperseus's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
bokslukaren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
‘No,’ Papa said. ‘You were a boy.’
The typesetting and design of the book were alluring; the fonts, chapter headings, the narration styles - the whole arrangement really. The book's punctuation feels poetic and Zusak artistically uses imagery. On the whole, the book felt very comforting, even though its contents (as most books about the holocaust are) were devastating.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Misogyny and Suicide
sea_sea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
te_ss_i's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
pandemonicbaby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I should've known. The subject of death always makes me cry.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Suicide, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
berrytart's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Misogyny, Suicide, and Blood
julesadventurezone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Sexism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury
sarahkinney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kyarabereading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love the attention to detail Zusak clearly put into this book. This is a book that seems like it took a lot of Zusak's time and research - and all that hard work truly paid off. Everything is so, so real. The characters, the location, the historical events - they all create a story that is so incredibly real. So, so honest. It makes you fall in love with the characters. It makes you feel their pain. It makes it hurt that much more when they're hurt, especially when you realize this story was a reality for many people in 1940s Germany. This book does not sugarcoat the effects of the Holocaust or everyone's participation in it - everyone from the Hitler fanatic to the complaisant supporter. It does not sugarcoat how WWII hurt so many people. It's tragic to see how all this built up, to see what people did because of fear and hatred. What they did for survival.
I also love the creative choices Zusak makes in this book. For one, having Death as a narrator was a choice that really strengthened the book as a whole. Death as a narrator along with Zusak's way with words (along with his writing style and structure and loveable characters and etc., etc., etc.) is a combination that formed some of the most beautiful writing I have seen. Zusak also showed us how all the stories, all the moments in this book are intertwined with each other. I like how some stories remind us of things we have already seen or provide us with foreshadowing for what is coming up. It makes this book entertaining to read every single time.
I think what I love the most about this book is what it teaches us. It is a study of humanity and human nature from a distant point of view. Death is amazed by, terrified by, interested in humans. To quote the book directly, Death is "haunted" by us. It makes me think about my own humanity and that of the people around me. But it does not just make me think about the bad side of humanity, it makes me think about all the good too. The book reminds me of all the beautiful parts of other human beings - people's selflessness, kindness, trust, love, etc., etc., etc. The book also teaches the importance of words. They can be influential. They can be harmful. They can be helpful. They can be life-changing. They can be used as a weapon, but they can also be used for good.
Markus Zusak wrote a book that is so beautifully written and impactful. May I never forget how it made me feel. May I never forget his words.
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Excrement and Alcohol
sarahaf712's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Content warnings: Holocaust; Nazis; SS and Gestapo; death marches; bombing; corpses