Saw previews for the movie remake and decided to pick the book up before I saw either the original or the remake (classic story, yes?).

Unfortunately, this book suffered a bit due to picking it up and putting it down with long breaks in between. The good parts were really good, but the slow parts didn't really hold my interest long. The side stories for the other students, Virginia, Tommy, etc. didn't really pick up until the last 3rd of the book, so I had forgotten most of the set up.

And I had completely forgotten Oskar's dealings with his bullies and other students by the final climax, which probably lessened the impact more than it was meant.

That out of the way, it was a good book, the last 3rd in particular once Oskar finds out about Eli's big secret. Virginia & Lacke's story was particularly endearing. It did a wonderful job with conveying imagery (horrific violence and sweet moments alike) and the relationships between the characters (good or otherwise).

Overall - worth the read, liked it well enough. :)