A review by oofym
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This a really excellent and finely crafted story, i was genuinely surprised by just how good the writing and characterisations of things are at certain points; especially for a young adult book. Hans Hubermann might be my new favourite Literary dad character next to Atticus finch and all in all I came to love the characters in this book, they're all so endearing.

I think the pace meanders a bit in the middle, but that's somewhat expected in a 600 page book and the authors use of language more than makes up for it.

And I don't even want to talk about the ending, what a gut punch, a real tear-jerker. Glad there was some happiness though, and the Narrator's words at the end feel right at home in my heart.

Overall I'd really recommend this book to anyone, I wish I'd read it at a younger age as I feel like it would have had an even stronger emotional impact on me, but I'm just glad I've read it anyway. Will be reading more from Markus Zusak in the future.