I can’t read this and not cry. It’s one of those books, and it’s one of those books that stands up well to a second reading. Some books become works of art in their own right, and it is a joy to wander through their pages and enjoy, not only the story, but the way the narrative is written.
Which I think is what I love so much about this book. The
narrator is death and by no means as frightening as that sounds. Death has a
very interesting outlook on life and his near neutral perspective gives a
slightly different take on what the characters value. If there was a flaw, it
was that I overthought his character and was trying to get my head round how he
could be in multiple places at once etc.
But this book is about what we value, as opposed to what we
are told to value, and also how quickly those things can disappear. Death’s perspective
shows a life that isn’t fair, and this is something that Liesel has to come to
terms with when Death comes for her brother at the very beginning of the story.
It’s in the home of her new family with her new friends, Rudy and Max, that she
learns how to survive and enjoy the moments that she has.
Rudy and Liesel are the characters that are really alive in
this book. They experience all that they want to and live life on their terms.
Whether that’s stealing apples, books or pretending to be Jesse Owens. They
meet other characters who are living half lives, such as the mayor’s wife, and
they share a bit of their own joy and enthusiasm with them.
I would recommend this one as a different take on WWII, but
have a box of tissues handy.
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