Final Post

When I first started reading The Book Thief, Death first foreshadows Liesel encounters with him. I could tell the book was going to be sad, and tried to enjoy the happy parts of the book, assuming the end would be completely devastating. As soon as I read when Death foreshadows Rudy's fate, including Liesel finally kissing him, it definitely had an effect on how I viewed the book. I could simply think that the book was depressing, but that's not the case. It was such a nice surprise to learn that Max lived through World War II. The characters were very memorable. Rudy was like a breath of fresh air, bringing joy to Liesel's life when it would otherwise be gloomy. Rosa was another nice surprise. She started off seeming abusive and one-dimensional, but then I realized that Rosa loved Hans and Liesel, especially when she played Hans' accordion. Even Death was not simply a depressed figure that tried to distract himself. He was human like, not able to cope with deaths easily and instead noticed the beauty in the colors of people's souls. Overall, I loved the book. The descriptions that, though unnecessary, reflected how precious each moment with Rudy and her foster parents was, and how amidst the atrocities of the war, there was hope. I recommend this book to anyone who can appreciate stories even if they are sad.