Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is a compelling story about a struggling girl during World War 2. Through the perspective of death, The Book Thief takes you on a wild and exciting journey. After Liesel Meminger gets thrown into a new family, she must adopt the ways of a German during WW2.

When Liesel gets torn from her mother, she gets left to stay with a family on 33 Himmel Street. She cannot read, she cannot write, and she is still traumatized from witnessing her brother die right before her eyes. Soon she takes up the act of stealing with her best friend Rudy Steiner. Throughout Liesel’s journey, she finds comfort in her new papa Hans Hubermann and the Jew that’s being hidden in their basement. Although things seem to be going good for the family, all of their lives are at stake when the bombs begin striking.

The air raid sirens would wail, and everyone on Himmel street would escape to their designated bomb shelter. Before Liesel found safety in the shelter, she always made sure to have her stack of beloved books with her. After hours and hours of reading practice with Hans, Liesel finally mastered the art of reading. She would sit in the corner and read to everyone down in the shelter while the bombs were dropping.

The Book Thief is a historical fiction book that grabs the reader's attention from the beginning. It’s a longer read, but through all the suspense and action, it’s over before you know it. No matter who you are, The Book Thief is a must read!