Book Review - The Book Thief

I just finished The Book Thief last night.  It had recieved some high praise on the internet so I was hoping it would live up to the hype.  It did. 

The book is about Liesel Meminger, who at only 9 years old, is taken to the live with the Hubermanns, a foster family, on Himmel Street in Molching Germany, in the late 1930's.  She arrives with few possessions, but among them is The Graeve Digger's Handbook, a book stole from her brothers burial place.  During the years that Liesel lives with the Hubermanns, Hitler becomes powerful , live on Himmel Street becomase more fearful, and Liesel becomes a full-fledges book thief.  She rescues books from Nazi book burnings and steals from the library of the mayor.  Liesel is illiterate when she steals her first book , but Hans Hubermann uses her prized books to teach her to read.  The book is a story of courage, friendship, love, survival, death and grief.  The book is Liesel's life on Himmel Street, told from Death;s point of view. 

Again, this book had me sucked in from the beginning.  As I was nearing the end, I was sad that it would be over soon.  I also had a scene played out in my mind of how the book would end.  That didn't happen.  The ending was good and had a couple of surprises. 

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5.