The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

So Holocaust lit. I've said it before, this isn't my favorite genre. However, in the last few years I've had at least four students read The Book Thief for their independent reading. And... *sigh* ... I made a commitment to read what my kids are interested in.

So, I read it over the break.  It took me a total of eight days to get through. Now, I realize that sounds fast to most people. Let me put it in context. I read 160 (ish) books last year. That means that on average I read a book every other day or so. Realistically, an average nonfiction book will take me around five days, a novel takes about three usually, a YA novel in about a day, and I can usually read two middle readers in a day and still get other things done. So, for something billing itself as a YA novel to take me eight days is...odd.

The main character,  Liesel, is a lutheran but her parents are communists and after her father dies, her mother takes Liesel to a little town outside of Munich to be cared for by a foul-mouthed laundress and her gentle husband. Liesel eventually understands that this was done to protect her, but she's a kid and feelings of abandonment are inevitable.

She eventually adjusts, but she's a little girl living in Nazi Germany and things are complicated. The Book Thief's plot spans the war following Liesel's life. Oh, and it's narrated by Death who seems to have a soft spot for her.

Honestly, I don't think this is really YA lit. I'm not saying that it's inappropriate for a high schooler to read. It's a good book. It's just really dense, and while it has a youthful protagonist, that doesn't necessarily make it YA.

Every few chapters I found myself having to put it down to process the material and read something a little lighter. It's a worthwhile read but be prepared to process a lot of complicated and thorny issues. Zusak is unflinching in his depiction.