const_elle_ations's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Child death, Genocide, and Suicide
Minor: Vomit
jg34's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: War, Racism, Police brutality, Death, Confinement, Genocide, Antisemitism, Blood, Violence, Racial slurs, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Suicide, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Car accident
A boo set in nazi germany during WWII that does not shy from detailsromy_elizabeth13's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, War, Grief, Child death, and Racism
Moderate: Vomit
percys_panda_pillow_pet'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
4.25
Still, I cannot help but think I was...not disappointed but perhaps unenlightened, might be the best word here. Forgive me if I get a tad poetic here with my writing, I just think at least in my language I can do justice to a book that has done so much for others that it could not do for me. At this time in my life, I have already read several first-hand accounts of WWII, particularly from either the US or Jewish perspectives. Night by Elie Wiesel that I read in 8th grade comes to mind, a popular reading for school. I just don't think The Book Thief was necessary for me to read now.
Don't get me wrong, the novel isn't terrible by any means, and my star rating will reflect that feeling, but I don't need it. I know there are some out there that do, and that is where the book's value lies. I didn't need it to tell me there were good people in Germany at the time, I didn't need it to tell me there are innocents on both sides, to show me the absolute tragedy war is. I already knew all that and more. Zusak's writing is beautiful, and while the story was a bit slow-paced in the first quarter of the novel, I really zoomed through the rest of it, sitting on the edge of my seat when the tension was the highest. He really is an accomplished author, knowing exactly when to make a new section and ratchet up suspense for the reader. But when all was said and done, I felt myself questioning, "What else?" Sure, it's an important story, no doubt about that. But I wanted to know about the afterward. How do you come back from all that sorrow and anguish and persecution?
WWII books love to go on and on about the Holocaust and its effects, good to learn about absolutely, but I want to know about those who survived the camps, where did they go? What about the propaganda? That doesn't disappear overnight. Neither does the hatred. I'm just sort of done with stories like this, or The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I'm done with the pain. I need hope too.
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Police brutality, and War
Moderate: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery
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: Antisemitism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Deportation, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Death, Child death, Sexism, and War
Moderate: Car accident, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Bullying, Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
frozenduck'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, War, Antisemitism, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Violence, Cursing, and Vomit
laneys_library's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Murder, Gore, Cursing, Torture, Confinement, War, Child death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, and Child abuse
Minor: Vomit
johannslauren15's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, and War
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Misogyny, and Vomit
casbee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Genocide, and Hate crime
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Vomit