Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.
Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.
SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH
I know I've already read this book twice this year, but the hard copy I purchased finally arrived and I couldn't resist giving it another go. I enjoyed reading even more (if that's possible) this time through, especially with the full page illustrations of The Standover Man and The Word Shaker. All I can say is that it was worth everything I paid for it and I'm planning to purchase hard copies of some of my other favorites.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read. Here's what I knew about it going in: it takes place during WWII and has Nazis in it. Not a lot to go on. It had been on my TBR list for a long time but I kept passing it by, just not sure what it was about or if I was in the right frame of mind. If you've been doing the same thing, I urge you to stop doing that! Pick it next.
Did I cry? Yes, but not in the way I expected. Instead of one or two big sob sessions, I experienced many small heartbreaks. Some were larger than others but there was no individual scene or occurrence that devastated me. The cumulative effect, however, is that I felt a larger, deeper sense of loss and sadness and hope.
And the writing - …
This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read. Here's what I knew about it going in: it takes place during WWII and has Nazis in it. Not a lot to go on. It had been on my TBR list for a long time but I kept passing it by, just not sure what it was about or if I was in the right frame of mind. If you've been doing the same thing, I urge you to stop doing that! Pick it next.
Did I cry? Yes, but not in the way I expected. Instead of one or two big sob sessions, I experienced many small heartbreaks. Some were larger than others but there was no individual scene or occurrence that devastated me. The cumulative effect, however, is that I felt a larger, deeper sense of loss and sadness and hope.
And the writing - gorgeous. I've not highlighted or shared so many passages from a single book in years - maybe ever. There were passages that required that I read them over and over until they had a chance to really sink in and become a part of me.
This book made me want to review every other book I've given five stars to and reduce most of them just to ensure that this one stands above the rest. As soon as I read the final word, I was so tempted to start all over again. Not only to experience it again but to see what nuances I'd missed the first time.
