The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Two years ago, I allowed my AP students to read a novel of their choice instead of one I assigned.  To assess that they were reading, each week, the students had to copy an excerpt from the novel and then analyze a device used in the paragraph and its effect on the overall novel.  Most students chose books I recommended, that I knew could be used on the AP exam, but one student, Madeline Peterson, chose "The Book Thief."  After just two weeks of grading her homework, I started looking forward to the days she turned in her paragraphs so I could read more of the book.  With just a few excerpts, I was hooked.  The writing was so unique, it immediately drew me in.

The book is set in Germany during the Holocaust; however, instead of focusing on Jewish families, the main characters are Germans.  When I tell people this, they frequently ask me if I've read Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which also focuses on Germans during the time of the Holocaust.  I finally did read it, but really, the comparison ends there.  In Striped Pajamas, the boy's father is part of Hitler's army and the boy remains very ignorant about the war and the concentration camps.  In this book, the German family does not agree with Hitler, although they are forced to pretend like they do, and they help to hide a Jew.

Another unique factor of the book is the narrator: it is narrated by Death.  Death becomes interested in the main character Liesel and,  this book is the story of her life.  Some people may not like the unique style.  Not only is it narrated by death (who, by the way, is portrayed as compassionate and witty), but it had random interruptions in the novel where Death gives you a sidenote or announcement.  It is not frequent, but it's there.  It did not bother me at all, though.

Let me give you an example of the language that drew me into this novel.  Below is a quotation from the book.  Liesel has just spat some hateful words to a woman who has been kind to her.  This is how her reaction is described:  "Blood leaked from her nose and licked at her lips.  Her eyes had blackened.  Cuts had opened up and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin.  All from words.  From Liesel's words."

One more example which shows Death as a narrator, describing what he sees when he comes to pick up people's souls:  "I witness the ones that are left behind, crumbled among the jigsaw puzzles of realization, despair, and surprise.  They have punctured hearts.  They have beaten lungs."

These probably aren't the best excerpts, but I don't have my annotated print version with me, so I'm relying on quotes from the internet.  The first example I gave, though, is from a scene that remains my favorite.  It's one of the best written scenes I've ever read, but I think you need to read the entire book to appreciate it.

So go ahead.  Read it.