To be read first. Then into the wild.


Welcome to BookCrossing! It's a site for catching and releasing books and spreading the good karma of reading! Please make a journal entry when you FIND this book and let previous readers know how you came upon it. You may remain anonymous on this site if you like but it's very safe and spam free. We leave books around for others to stumble upon...they read, and then re-release in a public place for someone else to enjoy. Of course you're welcome to keep the book if you prefer but it's more fun to watch them travel and to hear from them once in a while. I hope you enjoy the book but I especially hope you enjoy BookCrossing.

Books...Love 'em and Leave 'em

This book will not be going out into the wild. I will keep it on my shelf for a long time. It should be available to read for anyone who comes across it in my future. I don't know exactly what to say about this book. I loved it and hated it. This is why I'm giving it a rating of 9. Anything that can cause that much torment in my assessment is worthy of a high rating. I'm blown away by Zusak's ability with "words". Simple yet searing. It was a long, dark story that was difficult for me to read but I'm so glad I did. It was a struggle to get into and to finish but it was worth the work. Death as the narrator was a clever approach for such a touchy subject and I did appreciate his flippant outlook as the content would otherwise not be tolerable for many. This is not to say that such atrocities should be "comfy" but I know this book is considered to be written for the "young adult" population. It's not necessary to knock people over the head with hideous description...it's quite clear what happened was horrific even in this context. I truly enjoyed many of the characters; Hans, Leisel, Rudy, even Rosa. I very much look forward to my Book Club's discussion on this one. I've had the book for a long time, attempted reading it twice in the past and just could not get into it. Had it not been chosen by my Book Club I know I would never have pushed through and finished this book. I'm no scholar of the written word but in my humble estimation I feel this is brilliant work. I am certainly glad to have come across it. My son will be majoring in English/Literature at college. I'm anxious to have him read it and see what he thinks. Interesting use of foreshadowing, etc. Well done, I liked it while also finding it a bit irritating.

From the book...I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.

Alec has this one for a summer read. He's into it already and loving "Death as the narrator." I'll keep you posted upon its return.

Edited later: He loved it and now has his dad reading it while on a business trip in Indianapolis. I post when I hear what B thinks.

Edit: He took it to ND for his roommate to read.