The Book Thief

 

The Book Thief

By Markus Zusak

The Book Thief synopsis:

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

-From goodreads.com

Wow! Talk about powerful! From the very first page to the very last, this book was deep and meaningful, sparing no details about World War II. It was fun and thought-provoking all at once, and I feel like everyone should read this to get a glimpse into history.

Content Warnings: Since this is a World War II novel, there's a lot of death, war, body horror, and torture instances, as well as racism and anti-Semitism. There's also a lot of language that's bordering on graphic, one scene with nudity, and lots of smoking and drinking. I would recommend this book for ages 15+. Happy reading!