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Gaijinmama
May 04, 2010 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: fiction
You are going to die.
That's the first thing Marcus Zusak, with Death as his narrator, tells us in this beautiful, devastating story. Inevitably, any story of Nazi Germany is going to be dark. This story is no exception, but Zusak reminds us that there were also kids joking, swearing, and playing soccer; and good, average, everyday people who decided to do the right thing even as evil consumed their world.
I suppose what I liked best was the fact that ultimately, this is the story of a little girl
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Barbara ★
Despite rave reviews, I found this book tedious as hell and boring to boot! I'm a book lover and a reader so with a title like "The Book Thief", I thought how could I lose. Boy was I wrong! Unfortunately this is actually a story about a young orphaned girl (the book thief) living in Nazi Germany during WWII. I abhor Hitler and anything to do with that time period and had I known this was the backdrop of the story, I never would have even thought of reading it.

It's written in Death's perspective
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Cherie
Jan 06, 2012 rated it it was amazing
This book is one you cannot want to be in a hurry to read. It is hard. It is sad. It is wonderful.

It is a story about Germany before and during WWII, from a side you don't hear much about. This book was about a young girl taken to live with a foster family in Munich, Germany in 1939. It is about a boy who becomes the girl's best friend. It is about the foster parents and the other people who live on Himmel(named after Heaven)Street in one of the poorest neighborhoods. It is about a young Jewish
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Melanie
Man.. I'm still crying after finishing The Book Thief just now! What a tear-jerker! The last 100 pages killed me! What a beautiful book!

The beginning was a little confusing for me, before realizing it was from Death's POV... After the first hundred pages, the story really picked up. The writing was original, the subject matter tragic, and the characters vivid. I half hated it (because of the subject), but couldn't help loving all of it. WWII viewed through Death and Liesel's lives - One of those
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Ann
Oct 02, 2014 rated it it was amazing
Death tells the story of Liesel Meminger from Molching, Germany. She is taken in by a foster family when her mother can't care for her. Her younger brother dies on the way to Molching and she is haunted by nightmares. She steal her first book when a soldier drops a copy of "The Gravedigger's Handbook." Hans Hubermann, her foster father sits with her to lull her to sleep. As she grows up and as the war rages on, Liesel collects more stolen books. This is a story of love and bravery beyond all rea ...more
Ariel
Dec 16, 2012 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Beautiful and haunting.
Stephanie Tuell
May 28, 2008 rated it it was amazing
this was a great book. at first i didn't think i was going to be able to get into it, as i'm not big on history or other languages (that's because i'm jealous that i can't speak them). but as i forced myself through the beginning, i began to love it. this books makes you laugh, cry, and care for the characters. as death follows lisel, you really get to see what a brave young girl she is. ...more
Pollyanna
It took me a while to read this book but I loved it. I have read a few books now about the Jews in the Second World War but never about the Germans. It was fascinating to read as it showed the sad part of German life in the war and how they suffered. A really sad story but at the same time it was uplifting.
Elaine
Dec 09, 2007 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: favorites, 2007, december
A truly beautiful and moving narrative. This book sets the bar high for all YA literature.
Terri
Mar 11, 2008 marked it as to-read
Suzy H
Nov 12, 2019 rated it really liked it
Yz the Whyz
Aug 26, 2009 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 2009-reads
Kayla
Jan 30, 2021 rated it it was amazing
Penney
Jun 03, 2010 marked it as to-read
Shelves: kindle, novel
Judithe
Sep 17, 2010 marked it as to-read
Anne
Nov 29, 2010 rated it liked it
LindaD
Feb 20, 2011 marked it as to-read
Amy J.
Feb 22, 2011 rated it it was amazing
A_Vishous_Fan
Oct 11, 2011 marked it as would-like-to-read
jingles
Feb 22, 2013 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: germany
Annette Reynolds
Jun 10, 2013 marked it as to-read
Kathy
Apr 15, 2014 rated it really liked it
Daisy
Aug 14, 2014 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: want-to-buy
ladymurmur
Aug 17, 2015 marked it as to-read
Shelves: 3-in-the-stands
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