Markus Zusak (See interview clip at your left) is a rising star in the world of young novelists. According to his website, he has written four novels before The Book Thief, the book I'm currently reading. His other books are The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Getting the Girl, and I Am the Messenger. Zusak is the recipient of a 2006 Printz Honor for excellence in young adult literature. He lives in Sydney.
I recently began reading The Book Thief because several of my students told me it is one of their favorite books ever. It's about girl who lives in Nazi Germany during Hitler's rise to power. There are apparently secrets about her family that the author has yet to reveal, but he has introduced a Jewish character who is in hiding and I suspect his path will soon cross Liesel, the 10-year-old main character.
Zusak writes from the point of view of Death, who narrates the story throughout. Death's perspective on humanity is sometimes surprising, and he turns out to be a somewhat likable character. He becomes fascinated Liesel when he comes to take the soul of her brother and begins to follow her life. He wants to tell us her story. As you can imagine, the story is full of both personal and political intrigue. Zusak's writing style is innovative and poetic . So far, I'm enjoying the book very much.
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