The Book Thief

"I am haunted by humans."

The last line of the book. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, is a slightly strange but eventful World War II novel featuring a young German girl.

The girl, Liesel, lived through the war, though the rest of the people on her street died from an air raid. Out of sheer luck. However, that is the end of the book. In the beginning, Liesel is with her mom, a Communist, and her brother, who dies. The story is narrated by Death himself.

Liesel's mother leaves her, Death explains. She is afraid of having Liesel hurt after she dies. So she goes to a German foster family, one who opposes Hitler, but doesn't take action against him. She makes friends with a boy named Rudy, who wants to kiss her all of his life but she never let's him.

The Book Thief is about her life, from hiding a Jew in her basement, to him being the last friend she ever has. She steals in a gang with Rudy, steals books from the Mayor's wife's library, and shares words with Max, the Jew.

During air raids, when everyone is hiding out in the bomb shelters, and panicking, Liesel acts without thinking. She takes out her latest book and starts reading it out loud, which pacifies everyone. Then, during one unexpected air raid, while Liesel is safely in the basement, reading and editing the story she had written, everyone dies. The bomb crashes directly on Himmel Street while everyone is asleep, and Liesel is the sole survivor.

When she escapes from the basement and sees all her friend's and family's dead bodies, she cries. And she finally plants the kiss Rudy had been wanting on dead lips.

It's an interesting book, if you're the type who likes reading unusual and unique styles of writing. I only read it for a school assignment, but it was worth the read.