At age 63 I am no doubt older than the average reader of this book. Having spent time listening to older family members describe what they saw in WWII Germany, I have to say that the author's description of conditions is spot on. The story is wonderful. Having death narrate the story is pure genius, an approach I have never encountered before and I have read a lot of books in my lifetime. My daughter gave my copy to me as a birthday gift and it will remain in my library as a cherished book to be read many times. Mr. Zuzak should take heart that he has developed a writing style that is unique and mature well beyond his years. This book should be included in every high school lexicon.
The Book Thief
(2006, Fiction - Historical Fiction, Written by Markus Zusak)
Have you read it? 
Most Recent Reviews
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title on for age 16 and give it
Stunning, will be a classic.
- I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
i cried and laughed throughout this exciting book
i really loved this book and hope that all parents will let their 10 year old read it.Sure there are a few curse words,but its still amazing and there isn't really any mature content other than that and some nazis whipping jews.i hope everyone can read this book.it was both amazing and surprising. the end was kinda weird but it was good other than that. the beginning was slow though.
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
this story is powerful
i this story is about a girl whose brother dies and mom abandons her the story is a book written by death the story is just fantastic the story is dense for young readers but for those who can understand it give it to them age is not a factor only the ability to understand the book is needed so dont worry about your kid being taught to do bad things
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
{GRADE A} Purely Amazing (THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ)--magical
Wow. All the reviewers that liked it said a lot of the stuff that I noticed while I was reading this book too, but a lot said that there is many to say about this book. But let me tell you, if I were to choose only one book that I can call 5 stars--i would choose this "Young Adult" novel. It is a masterpiece, this book should be read by all, grandparents, adults, and young adults. And the book may look dense, but trust me--even though the book is slow paced, you will find yourself enchanted by the dark humor, brutality, and just plain magic. After u read this your views of WWII will completely change--as this is not an Anne Frank but a dark portrayal of the poor Germans, u will find yourself thinking a different of life in WWII. And after u read this--well, i could just say this book can be life changing. The book has a unique narrative style. By death. Yes that is true, death does narrate--but the style is not exactly a narrative nor a poetic style. The genre is hard to point out here, and the story is quite simple: Leisel, a German girl is being adopted by a crazy woman and sweet man in Munich--as she steals books to read them to everyone. But soon you will find yourself intrigued by the complexity of this epic. A Jewish man starts living in there basement. Air raids are everywhere. Leisel has a best friend named Rudy. The Jewish man and Leisel have much in common. And many more happens in this story. But the story is not the main thing, yes, Zusak does try to make sense of the horrors of WWII--but the main thing is... the amazing writing and meaning. This book is some way you can poetic, and in many ways brutal. Sometimes the book can be dark, but at many moments you will hear yourself crying out loud in laughter. Parents need to know that this book is quite dense at a whopping 576 pages. Also your child may have trouble reading this book--figuring out its style can be confusing. The swearing is mainly in German, but there are some infrequent uses of s--t. The violence is surprisingly almost never occurring, but there are two moderately graphic beatings and air raids(nothing detailed). I have explained about 0.1% of how wonderful this book is. Trust me. Buy the book. You will feel the same way as me--really wanting to say how great it is, but finding it hard to explain. Overall this book is highly recommended for teens, adults, and anyone else above the age of a teen.
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
a must read
thats all there is too it. I would have your kid read it before they enter High School.
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
A different WWII book
This is a WWII story set in Germany. The main character is a young girl named Liesel who goes to live with a foster family. She finds comfort/peace (in the mist of war, lost of her own family, risking their lives to help a Jew, and all) in books. Since there is barely enough money for pea soup, she finds books or steal them. Books become her life line! The writing of this book is very interesting, written in the 3rd person of Death. It really gives the reader an idea what a child life was like during the war. Just trying to be a child, riding bikes, stealing apples, playing soccer while keeping a huge secret and hiding in basements when there was an air raid.
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
Lives in FloridaI rate this title on for age 2 and give itMy concerns are:- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Not for kids, but good for 12+
Love this book, but it is hard to get through. It is phenomenal the way it is written from Deaths point of view. My Mother and I both read this, and she didn't think it was bad for me at all.
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
The Book Thief is a very harsh book, not shying away from the horrors of Nazi Germany. But if you can stomach it, you'll be rewarded with one of the best pieces of literature based on WWII in years. Creatively narrated by Death himself, the story follows Liesel and her friends and family dealing with the crazy world around them, and their own personal trifles. I don't want to give any spoilers, but don't consider anyone safe from death in this book. The long length may put some off, but the memorable story within is one you won't soon forget! 9.5/10
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
the best.
my favorite book, i've read it multiple times. i think that a mature 12 yr old could read it, and understand most of it.
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
If you haven't already READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved this book!!! having death as the narrator was brilliant and the way it was written so it is not obvious that death was the narrator was interesting. Although many people commented on how it would have been better without so much swearing, I disagree. It gives you a better perspective on how life was for a German child, and it is in a different language half the time . If you read this book I guarantee 99% percent of you will like it. If you haven't yet, read this book!!!!!!!!!
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
A Great Book For Anyone!
The Book Thief is a wonderful book about a girl having to live through WWII. Narrated by death, this book gives a different perspective of the world many people had to face. this book has many twists and turns that wouldn't be expected, but make it much more captivating. If you read this book I am certain you will laugh at parts and you will cry at parts, but overall this is an amazing book.
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
A Great Read
I read this book around a few months ago and it was confusing and a bit boring but going through some parts were just amazing like how death was the main character and it just RULED.
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
A Great Read
I read this book around a few months ago and it was confusing and a bit boring but going through some parts were just amazing like how death was the main character and it just RULED.
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
one of the best books i've ever read
this is a deeply moving story. it is very artfully written, but some chunks, especially the first chapter, are confusing because of that. its one of those books where you can't put it down, but you want to make it last as long as possible because its so amazing.
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
ummmm...
I kinda messed up I didn't mean it to be one star ;)
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
One word. Spectacular.
I feel the Book Thief is a great book and deserves to be on the same shelf as Diary of Ann Frank. This book not only tells us of Hitlers evils, but also shows how even the smallest, regular children and adults can be affected by raids and death. Spectacular.
- I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give it
Hmmm....
The book was very creative and interesting, having the book written by 'Death' was brilliant. However. The Language in the book is absolutely horrid. The Girl's foster mother, her friends, she herself. It's horribly foul language. Because the book is written by death, it does not have a 'happily ever after' *spoiler* the main character, Lisel, does live, but almost no one else does. The story is not good enough to justify the foul language so I really cannot recommend it to you. I appreciate the creativity, but no, not the best read out there.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Glorious
When I saw that this book was up on the list, my first thought was: that was a glorious book. And it really is. It's a harrowing, realistic look at how WWII affected many lives. This is not for people whose mental age is below 13, however. It is beautifully crafted but definetly not a fairy tale. All in all, a truely gorgeous book.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
i just love this
this book was great...it started off kinda dull but the more i read i just couldn't stop. this is the best book i have read so far
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
A must read!
Though I would not recommend it to really young kids (they probably wouldn't read it anyway, seeing how thick it is) it is highly recommended to teenagers and adults. This is a different viewpoint on WWII. From the German side. And from a young girl's view on the war.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
Amazing read if your are above 15
This book captured my attion the second i started to read it! I love the main character, Leisel, has a amazing transision from girl who is scared and always has nighnmairs at night to a gil confronting all the people in a bomb shelter. she defently matures through out this book. the narrator being death was kinda starliting but it made the story more clear. all around a good book!
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
The best book of all time!!
The book thief is a charming story where the main chacter,Leisel, starts off as a youug girl afraid all the time and havong nightmairs of her dead brother. To a young woman confortning peolpe in air raid shelters. having also taught herself to read and write she is a astounding character. all around a wonderful book
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
One of the best books I've ever read!
I have read alot of books, but none quite like this one. It's starts out sad, and ends sad. But everything in between is some of the best literature I've ever read. It's a mix of comedy, romance, the harshness mixed together, all blended in the perfect amount. This book does have some sexual content, violence, and smoking, but nothing too bad. Wonderful book!
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
A must read!
The Book Thief was a spectactular book! The begginning was a little iffy but by the fourth chapter I fell in love with this book! I would reccomend this book to anyone over the age of 10. Ever since I've finished the book I've benn looking for similar books. It has instantly become one of my favorites!
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Profoundly moving
I cried harder than I have ever cried when I read this book. It is one of the most well-written books I have ever read and it is right beside `Tale of Two Cities`on my bookshelf. That`s right, Mr. Zusak, you`re as good as Charles Dickens. It is the best WWII books have read and I believe that although some parents might find the lagnuage offensive, I believe that it is necessary to the story and the characters. Definitely not for younger children, but every teenager should read it.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Astonishing
The Book Thief is by and large the greatest, most profound book I've read in the past year, one that I will cherish for its mesmerizing prose and haunting tale. Narrated by Death, who is at once compassionate, bitter, and matter-of-fact, the tale follows the coming of age of a young German girl. Left in the care of Munich family during the duration of the second world war, Liesel's encounters with love, prejudice, thievery, music, and the staggering power of words are traced over the course of four years until the story culminates in a series of events as tragic as they are hopeful. You will not be disappointed.
