The Book Thief

Prepare yourself for a tear-jerker. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, is one of the most uniquely written books I've read in a long time.

The bulk of the book takes place on Himmel Street, just outside of Munich, Germany in the 1930's-1940's during World War II. The story revolves around a 9 year old girl, Liesel Meminger, who is sent to live with a foster family after her brother dies. At her brother's funeral, she steals her first book, The Gravediggers Handbook. This is read to her by her foster father, the silver-eyed accordionist Hans Hubermann. Over time, Liesel steals more books and becomes acquainted with interesting characters such as Max, the Jewish man that the Hubermann's are hiding in their basement, Rudy, the boy next door, and the mayor's wife, who lets Liesel steal books from her library. To add a distinctive twist, the whole story is narrarated by none other than Death, who has an insightful perspective on the happenings on Himmel Street.

For me, the book was really hard to get into. After reading the first few pages, I put it down and forgot about it for a month. But then I came back to it and forced myself to get past the confusing first chapters. And I'm glad I did. Sad, insightful, dark, and profound, it's a captivating book that will pull you in and keep your attention long after you've finished.
For an excerpt and full review, read more here.