The Book Thief is your time machine as you spin back to Germany at the beginning of World War II, where Liesel Meminger, a foster child, and her family show everyone what courage means. They demonstrate their audacity as they take huge risks for those they love. The author Markus Zusak has a completely different perspective on courage than many other authors' books that I've read.
The author does have some personal experience with his story. According to the website, Motherdaughterbookclub, his mother and grandmother both grew up in Germany, and were alive during this period of time. He grew up hearing the stories from his mother, and wanted to write one of his own. He decided to write it from the point of view of typical German townspeople because not many others wrote about World War II from this aspect. Of course there were many other reasons as well, but his own personal insight into the story helped make this book one of the best books I have ever read.
One of the many other reasons I admired The Book Thief so much was because of the narrator. In the story, Liesel decides to write her own book because she loves reading so much. The thing that makes the book compelling is that the story is the book Liesel writes, with some side notes by the narrator, who is Death. Death is a very fascinating character and is not portrayed in the usual ways. He says, even in the first couple of paragraphs, "Here is a small fact. You are going to die. I am in all truthfulness attempting to be cheerful about this whole topic, though most people find themselves hindered in believing me, no matter my protestations. I most definitely can be cheerful." This really caught my attention because Death is usually depicted as eerie, malicious, merciless, and emotionless, but Zusak sees him more tired with a sense of humor. Death brought a different perspective to the story, and he makes you think about everything he says, even from the first page.
  As the plot develops, we learn from the first pages of the book that one of the only times that Death actually is with Liesel is when she is on a train to her foster home. You see some interesting perspective from both Death and Liesel as they make an unexpected stop in a town. Later, when Liesel arrives at her foster home, she meets Rosa Hubermann, her foster mother, who is viewed at that time as heartless and vile. Liesel won't go inside of the house (she doesn't want to leave her mother and life behind), but she is persuaded by Rosa's husband, Hans Hubermann. She sees him as kind and immediately trusts him, as children usually do. She is right about him though. Hans quickly becomes one of the few people she can trust, and he is shown as very kind. Throughout the story, Hans keeps making selfless acts to protect the people he loves and even those he doesn't know.
Additionally, another huge part of the book is the Steiners, a different family on Himmel Street. At the beginning of the book, Liesel plays soccer with one of the Steiner boys, but farther into the book, they form a more profound connection. Rudy, the Steiner boy, shows his affection to Liesel, but she only regards him as a friend. He tries to show that he loves her by stealing with her, swimming in frigid ice rivers for her, and safeguarding her whenever he can. Rudy was one of my absolute favorite characters because I could always picture him flirting with Liesel on Himmel Street.
  The Book Thief seizes your attention at the first pages, and holds it captive with Markus Zusak as jail keeper. Each chapter pulls you deeper into the book, and you will only want to read more. The breathtaking poetry and attachments that are unveiled throughout the story have as much power as the shocking parts, and though at times this makes it a little difficult to follow, it was still an amazing story.
In conclusion, though this story may not be for some people, I can say it was definitely a prodigious book. Even with the thousands of words in the book, each one has its own deeper meaning, all connecting to one theme, courage. Zusak seems to be saying that courage is the risks that you take for your loved ones as, in his writing, you see examples of all the characters completing self-sacrificing deeds for the loved ones in their lives. I can say that this book has changed my perspective on many subjects, including World War II. If you want to become a part of this story and see the poetry in the author's words, then all you have to do is read the book!