The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a highly moving and emotional book about a young German girl’s life during the height of World War ll. This novel is narrated by Death, who takes the form of all things in this story. Our main protagonist Liesel Meminger is introduced at the start of the novel as a quiet nine year old girl, who is being sent to live with foster parents Rosa and Hans Huberman. Liesel’s younger brother dies on the train ride to their new home, and that’s just the beginning of Liesel’s long life of tragedies. Her foster parents are complete opposites with Rosa being harsh and judgemental, originally only fostering Liesel to get the money that the country would reimburse her for. Her foster father Hans is extremely gentle and kind to any creature he comes across, and he forms a fatherly-like bond with Liesel. 

Adjusting to her new life and parents, Liesel attends school and makes friends with children on her street, who try to make the best of this dark time. Liesel creates relationships with countless characters, and each one is written in such depth that it makes you feel like you knew them personally. Although this novel is following a child who tries to make the best of an extremely dark time, it doesn’t exclude the events that happened during this war that shaped the lives of so many. 

I never thought I would read a book like this, because it is not a genre that I generally go for. However, once I picked it up, I was glad I did. It is such an incredibly moving story, and I will never stop recommending this novel.

• Anonymous Writer