“First the colors.

Then the humans.

That’s how I usually see things.

Or at least, how I try.

* * * 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. Please, trust me. I most definitely can be cheerful. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that’s only the A’s. Just don’t ask me to be nice. Nice has nothing to do with me.

* * * REACTION TO THE * * *

AFORMENTIONED FACT

Does this worry you?

I urge you- don’t be afraid.

I’m nothing if not fair.

How many books open with a statement telling the reader he or she is going to die? Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief isn’t just any book. It’s the one book that every person should read in their lifetime. It elicits laughter, tears; time spent pondering certain philosophical ideas, and a reevaluating of one’s life. The Book Thief isn’t just a book or story: it’s an invitation into the life of one young girl, into her sorrows and joys, her triumphs and downfalls, into her very being.

In The Book Thief we are told the story of Leisel, a young girl caught in the middle of Nazi Germany. What makes her story so interesting is that it’s told by Death. He begins the tale when He first met her, and continues on throughout her life, talking about the many times He encountered her but didn’t take her soul, and how entranced He was with this young girl. We learn about Leisel’s life: how she’s come to live in Germany, how she loves to read, and how she has a rebellious side. Throughout the book Death chimes in with facts and knowledge of His own, giving His wisdom to the reader. At one point Death is talking about war and the men who are eager to join the war and He says, “A small but noteworthy note: I’ve seen so many young men over the years who think they’re running at other young men. They are not. They’re running at me.”

Because the story is told from the point of view of Death, it’s unlike any other Holocaust story ever written. It’s not a generic overview of what Nazi Germany was like. Instead it’s an emotion packed journey through one little girl’s life, and everything she experiences. This book is truly one everyone should read before they die.