Leningrad, 1942; bodies line the streets of once vibrant squares. German shells soar above buildings, their hellish whistle striking fear into those below. A German soldier lies peacefully on the ground, cold, his knife and his flask looted from his body, and Lev Beniov, lies tired and hungry in his cell with a handsome stranger at the local prison. Lev was never really a good soldier, nor was he good at anything. Simply put, Lev was expendable, which made him the perfect contender for the Colonels’ most unusual mission: retrieve a dozen eggs for his daughter's wedding in the midst of the brutal war. Lev the looter and Koyla, the dashing deserter, embark across a broken Russia, encountering cannibals, dog bombs, and an exceptional sniper in this Masterfully crafted coming of age story, City of Thieves.

The book uses the classic storyline of a coming of age novel. While most of these stories take place over an extended period of time and involve both psychological and physical changes, Benioff wrote his story in a way that is not usually seen in young adult literature. Lev’s arc happens within a week, and most of the change is psychological. There are surprisingly lots of emotional scenes that you can relate to with Lev. However, most relations to the reader’s feelings are kept cynical, seeing how the story is told through an older Lev’s eyes. Because of this perspective, we are constantly aware of Lev’s youthful stupidity and curiosity, allowing the arc to have more of a sense of impact.

I personally haven’t gotten as much closure with a story than I have with City Of Thieves. This chapter of Lev’s life is closed with a rightful goodbye to the people he encountered during his travels. Every end is tied off, leaving almost no questions as I closed the book. The theme of growing up is simple, yet impactful. All the thinking and predicting is done during the novel, and there is nothing left but a sense of closure after finishing the story. Historical fiction novels might not be everyone’s forte, but if there is one thing you should read City of Thieves for, it’s the beautiful friendship that Lev and Koyla establish throughout the course of the story. You really start to feel for these characters, so much so that the ending just might bring you to tears.