The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  It is a fictional novel about a foster/orphan girl in World War II Germany named Liesel.  She is adopted by the Hausmann family.  The book is a coming-of-age novel of sorts.  Her foster father helps her learn to read (from the stolen book she has from her brother's funeral) and that is somewhat intergral into the rest of the story.

The characters are all likable (well, not so much Hitler, but...).  I did find it highly interesting that the point-of-view of the story is Death.  You'd think that would make it a morbid novel, but it really made for a very interesting take on things.  Because of this, you know there will be many deaths in the book, but you never know who or when.  It kept things very interesting.

The book did not end how I thought it would. (Though still sad, but what can one expect from a novel narrated by Death?)  The author also left one important aspect open to interpretation that I wish he would not have.  But, leaving you wanting more is a good thing in a book.

552 pages