The Book Thief in The Dusty Bookshelf

May 04, 2010 Gaijinmama 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 ...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Jessica rated it it was amazing

I bought this book on a whim and I am so glad that I did. It turned out to be one of the best and most original novels I have ever read. It's not a book for people who are looking for a quick read or a happy ending, but it is breathtaking and will haunt you long after you finish reading it. ...more

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Jul 02, 2008 Lena English rated it it was amazing

Shelves: on-the-kindle

I want to start this review like this: It took a while to get in to. I know that is not the case with everyone who reads this book, but it was with me. Maybe if I had had more of a chance to read for longer stretches it would have been different, but oh well. I really loved this book. The writing was unique and expressive. Zusak really paints a picture with words. I can't even describe the way the writing makes you feel. And a warning, I was crying at the end of this book. Full on sobbing. Its a ...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Rachel rated it liked it

Shelves: recommended, book-club-reads, world-war-ii, historical-fiction, 2013

3.5
I had really high expectations going into this book because both my sisters and my mom LOVED and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED this book, so I am sad to say that it isn’t one of my all-time favorites. However, there are a lot of good aspects of the book.

Liked –

The majority of the character are round and have many dimensions to them. You really get to experience faults and triumph of people’s characters and humanity as a whole. For example, Rosa Hubermann, while I don’t condone her parenting methods ...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Casey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: approved-for-future-progeny

A beautiful story, diminished only by the inclusion of death as narrator, which felt like a gimmick. However, I can overlock gimmicks in young adult fiction, and it seems that many people liked this particular gimmick anyway.

Highly recommended, especially for younger teens.

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May 09, 2010 Jessica (Books: A true story) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle, favorites, blog, amazon, ebook-challenge-2011, ya-historical-fiction-chllnge-2011, 5-stars, content-medium

The narration style is what made this book so unique and interesting. The narrator is all-knowing and is actually a character in the story that talks to you, the reader. It's old fashioned to do that, but the author modernizes it by making the narrator Death. Set it WWII, it's a thought provoking story on the power of words and friendship. Despite the serious subject, it still manages to be funny sometimes. Loved it!

This book is also reviewed on my blog Books: A true story ...more

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Apr 04, 2008 Jenn rated it it was amazing

What a marvelous teen book! I enjoyed thoroughly the trip through growing up and illiteracy. I have sinced passed this one along to be sold at a book sale at work that sends all of the profits to a literacy program for women.

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