false 4 1 false false Sat Jun 13 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 12 20:45:16 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 13 14:49:13 -0700 2009
First, those people looking for an "authentic" representation of the siege of Leningrad need to move on. CITY OF THIEVES is, at its heart, an adventure story about two interestingly mismatched young characters. WWII and the siege serve as a backdrop, and there are interesting tidbits and horrific atrocities that stem from this setting, but that's all. I was perfectly fine with that, personally.

Second, Benioff has a history as a screenwriter, and this book reads very much like a screenplay. The plot is very "high concept" (two theieves given an impossible, yet somewhat silly task), the characters are somewhat shallow, but deep enough for us to care for what happens to them, the villains are villains with a capital V, the plot is somewhat episodic, and we're given a bitter-sweet "Hollywood" ending. Looking at other reviews, this seems to really bother some people. Not me, though-- The book is pure entertainment, and I couldn't care less. Enjoy it for what it is, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Lastly, I have to wonder how many of my fellow reviewers were born in convents or puritan enclaves. Yes, there are occasionally swear words and thoughts of sex. I hate to break it to you, but most seventeen and twenty year olds do tend to swear, and DO tend to think about sex occasionally. There's certainly nothing worse than you'd seen in a typical PG-13 or R rated film, and it never once bothered me or distracted me from following the plot.

All in all, a very enjoyable read.

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