Items in Review!

I take no credit for the images used, only for the minor editing and text addition. 

Hey everyone! :)

So today I decided to try something a little bit different! I know most of us hate Mondays, since it seems to be one of the most hated days. So I've decided to try and do something that will bring a new perspective to your Mondays and the rest of your week! I figured that a review of a movie, book, television show, etc., would be the perfect way to kick off the beginning of a week and give you something new to look forward to at the end of the week (possibly, or maybe you'll hate what I'm reviewing, I don't control you!). So today I want to start with something that I've always loved; reading. That is right ladies and gentleman, I'm going to kick off by reviewing one of my favourite books recently  Now, I don't know if I like it all that much more because a new movie is coming out for it or if it is just the way that the author writes and tells the story, but it is truly one of my favourites! So drumroll please...

Just one of the most amazing books of all time. :)

Yes, that is right, The Book Thief  is currently the number one book on my list. I've found the best way to begin a review is to tell someone what the book was about before just delving into random facts and events that were completely moving. The book is set during the Second World War in Nazi Occupied Germany. I'm going to stop right there for a moment, since I have a feeling that I've lost a lot of you from the sheer boredom you must be worried about experiencing. Maybe it is just because I am a history major or maybe because I grew up reading books about this genre but I feel like it is severely typecast of sorts. This is a fictional story that follows the life of a young girl living in Germany at the time, that could have been any resident of the city. Therefore, I wouldn't classify it as your typical WWII kind of storyline.

Still got your attention? I hope so! So the main character of the book is a young girl, Liesel Meminger and her foster family. Liesel is not like other girls her age for the simple fact that she steals a number of books throughout the story, including from a book burning and the mayor's personal library. During the war, any kind of theft was punishable by death and was a constant risk. The story takes a turn when a Jewish man seeks safety in the basement of their home and befriends Liesel throughout his time there. I won't go and ruin the ending of the book for you, but it is one that you may or may not see coming. I sure didn't! 

One of the major things that I enjoyed about Markus Zusak's book would have to be the narrator of the story. It is an omnipresent Death-like character who tells the story from beginning to end, taking some notes from the book that Liesel herself begins writing the mayor's wife gives her an old notebook towards the end of the story. The way that Death is forever present and telling the story is a constant reminder that during that era it felt like at any moment he would arrive and take someone that you loved; that he was always there even if you couldn't see him right away. That sounds incredibly mournful but it is really just the best way that I can describe that feeling.

Secondly, I like that it isn't your traditional look at the Second World War. I enjoy the fact that it follows the life of a normal civilian that is being betrayed by her country as much as the rest of the world is. These people were just trying to lead a normal life and get their lives together following a number of tragic events, yet nothing would have prepared them for the war and you are able to see that from the arguments that take place and the mindset of a few minor characters. It is a refreshing look for someone who constantly reads biographies and more non-fiction then I probably should. Blame the history major in me I guess. 

I do have a major warning for anyone who reads the book however, you will become emotionally attached to the characters and will be glued to the pages of the book until it is finished. It is the kind of book that you become emotionally invested in and that you find yourself rooting for. The literary descriptions that flow throughout the book, from the way that Death talks about the characters or the description of the land all around them. It is honestly a beauty that I've rarely found in another book. When I was looking through reviews of the book I found one that truly stood out to me, "t's probably the first book I've read that makes me feel how I feel watching The Phantom of the Opera, if that helps explain it." (Shannon, Goodreads) That is truly the feeling that you experience and it is completely heart-wrenching all the way through!

So I hope this review wasn't terrible, I am really awful at trying to include all the information that I want to without sounding like I am repeating myself over and over again. It is an amazing book and is truly a work of art. If you have anything you'd like to see me review, let me know in the comments and I'll try and figure out a way to see/read/listen to it for two weeks from now! 

Cheers! x

-A (somelittlebirds)