One of the reasons as to why this novel managed to hit all the aforementioned targets was its crucial story. Very rarely in my reading life have I found a book that reaches a perfect equilibrium between these two extremes, but I have no doubt that The Book Thief managed to not only achieve this equilibrium but transcend it in a way that I can barely even describe.

I often find that stories of this nature are either too bleak to see all the way through (i.e., The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) or completely gloss over the impacts of war completely. I will preface this review by saying that I do not usually enjoy war stories, especially those targeted at young adults and children. Soon, Liesel, her family and her friends on Himmel Street are thrust into the trials and tribulations that only war can bring, witnessing carnage and horror, but ultimately creating memories that sustain them through the hardships of Nazi Germany. However, the stakes are raised exponentially when news of the impending war and Hitler’s impact upon Germany and the Jewish race reach Liesel and her foster family, and this poses a significant threat to the family because they take on a Jewish soldier and hide them in their house as an honour to an old friend. When Liesel is taken to a foster family on Himmel Street, she soon settles into a life that is pleasurable but riddled with destitution. When she discovers a novel hidden in the snow while standing by her brother’s grave, Liesel pockets it, despite the fact that she has not acquired the ability to read. Marcus Zusak’s captivating debut novel follows the story of Liesel, who witnesses the death of her younger brother while on a train through Germany.

The book thief author