What readers think of The Book Thief, plus links to write your own review.

If someone were to ask me to describe this incredibly creative book in three words, this is it: Innovative. Imaginative. Inspiring. It may take you a few pages to become accustomed to the highly original writing style, but the payoff is so worth it. This is one of those books that I will be thinking about for a long, long time to come.

The narrator of this book is Death. He is the one who releases the soul from a body once it has died, and he carries it away. It is January 1939 in Nazi Germany, and 9-year-old Liesel and her little brother are being sent to a foster home to be cared for by strangers. Her brother dies, so she is all alone when she enters the home of Hans and Rosa Hubermann on Himmel Street, which is in the shadow of Dachau. When Liesel steals her first book at her brother's graveside, she doesn't even know how to read. Stealing books becomes an obsession—a potentially dangerous one not only because it is theft and a crime, but also because this is a time when books are burned. Books are seditious. Words have power. This is the story of Liesel's life in Germany during World War II told from the perspective of a German child who is not Jewish, but whose family is harboring a Jewish man in their basement. Her life is filled with love, but also incredible danger and tragedy. And her life is filled with words—words that give and words that take.

The characters are vivid and strong, the passionate writing is superb, the novel's structure is ingenious, and the plot is profound and moving. This is a brilliant and unforgettable must-read novel.

The book thief is a poignant and powerful tale a young girl named Liesel growing up in Nazi Germany. This is the kind of book which demands quite a few re-readings and I have discovered a number of microscopic details after each read. Highly recommendable for literature and history buffs alike, this is a timeless tale which is masterfully told. This masterfully crafted novel is sure to make the readers come back for more.

This book was amazing and it really touched my heart.

Ok, some may say that the writing style is ridiculous, but I believe that is its charm as I’ve yet to find a book written quite as ridiculous with as much as a interesting plot as this one has. The narrator of this story was what solidified this as my first favorite published book.

This is the best historic novel I've read and the perspective is truly amazing! It's a book that made me cry. It's a book that made me think. The metaphorical and figurative language used is remarkable too. Currently my favourite historic novel along with 'All The Lights We Cannot See' and The Librarian of Auschwitz.

This book is so superbly written that I felt I knew each and every character. The only downside is that it had to end! I miss reading this book.

Outstanding! It touches the soul. Congrats to the author. I wonder what makes a young man write a book like this. I was very surprised when I learned Mr Zusak's age.

The Book Thief is the fifth novel by Australian author, Markus Zusak. The setting is Nazi Germany just before the start of World War Two, through to 1943, and the story is narrated by Death. Death was decidedly overworked during the war, but he informs the reader that he saw young Liesel Meminger three times in those years before he finally took her much later. Liesel comes to 33 Himmel Strasse in Molchen to foster parents Rosa and Hans Hubermann, having just lost her younger brother, Werner to Death’s grasp. Cranky Rosa keeps the family fed with her washing and ironing service while kind Hans paints when it is needed, plays the accordion and teaches Liesel to read, all on the background of deprivation, anxiety and fear that is wartime Germany. The anxiety level rises when Max Vandenburg, a Jew, comes to hide in the basement. But the presence of this unassuming man also helps to expand Liesel’s experience of reading and of life. With her best friend, Rudy Steiner, Liesel embarks on a career of thievery, starting with apples but graduating, eventually, to books from the Mayor’s library, although her first books are acquired in quite a different manner. This much-awarded, best-selling novel looks at war from a different perspective: the effects it has on ordinary people trying to lead ordinary lives in an ordinary town. While the Fuhrer and Mein Kampf play integral parts, illustrating the use of words for evil, the emphasis is on the struggle of the common man (and woman) to do the right thing in a dangerous environment. Zusak’s characters have depth and appeal (even cranky Rosa): the banter between them often lifts the tension from serious moments with some quite black humour. Zusak is skilful with his imagery and wordplay: “He was teenage tall and had a long neck. Pimples gathered in peer groups on his face.” and “She imagined the sound of a police siren throwing itself forward and reeling itself in. Collecting itself.” are just two examples. The illustrations by Trudy White are a charming enhancement to the text. This novel has brutality, but it also has beauty. The narration style may take a little getting used to, but the reader who perseveres is rewarded with a wonderful experience. Very moving.