This book is really stealable!!. Review on Book Thief, The - Markus Zusak

The Book Thief is published in a time where books set during the World War II are quickly becoming a cliche. From wartime romances to Gestapo victims, every book has the same whole thing to offer.

However, The Book Thief is a refreshing novel that narrates a story far beyond the battlefields of Russia or the concentration camp of Dachau. Markus Zusak invents a novel concept-the book is narrated by Death. That's right, our story's narrator describes himself as a tired employee of war, often being sarcastic and crisp. Even then, as our narrator picks up thousands of souls, a young girl called Liesel loses her whole family and is adopted by the Hubbermanns of  Himmel Street, a relatively poor neighbourhood around Munich.

Liesel is an avid book lover, and as time progresses, she recieves love from several sources-from kind Papa Hubermann and his stoic yet loving wife to lemon-haired Rudy, a fan of Jesse Owens. When you read this book, you find stuff about the Nazis that you never knew before-how even Communists were targeted, how some Jews were sent to labour camps and paraded on the street, and how  children like Liesel remained clueless about such things till it was too late to do anything.

The book has many tragic events and incidents. But you can't help poring over the stories of Liesel's friend Max, or seeing how Liesel deftly steals not only books but also food as ration starts getting more difficult to keep.You can't help thinking how not only Jews, but the same Germans who had so innocently trusted Hitler, suffered. And all between this a skinny girl who manages to make a difference.

Liesel is just like you or me. She can be extremely cruel or even extremely loving. She can play football and hide Jews in her basement. She doesn't go to exciting places or do exciting things. But the fact is, that Liesel always manages to make a difference. She reads books to soothe children, even though she can also read horrific thriller mysteries and get hidings for misbehavior.

You can't help but wish that the end was more different, as nothing turns out as expected.But in the end, a haunting sentence by Death brings the book to an end, and I can't help thinking that The Book Thief is capable of making you a book thief too!