Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Group: Young Adult
Hardcover: 552 pgs
Source: Purchased
Published - March 2006
Rating: 5/5
By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.
This book gets
five stars because it ripped my heart out and apparently I enjoy that.
Due to the
enormous hype this book has received over the years, I knew this was going to
be an emotional read and a difficult topic to read about. My solution? I tried
to read this with distance. Throughout the book our narrator hints at terrible
events that will come to pass. So I tried to keep my heart closed and keep
these characters at arm’s length. I thought I was doing a good job until I
realized in the middle of the book I adored each one and was in big trouble.
Because in the end, this is a story about a girl who learns to read and steals
books. How could I keep her at a distance?
Throughout the
book we are constantly looking at both Lisel’s small corner of Germany and are
reminded of the big picture by our narrator, Death. I really enjoyed this
balance and how those reminders were not disruptive to the story.
Overall, this book
did not disappoint me. Even though the hype is intense, the story is moving and
explores a lot of difficult topics. I enjoyed the characters and the unique
perspective of the narrator. I'm so glad I finally read this story.
My Last Review ---> Imprudence by Gail Carriger
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