Well folks. I finished this book a matter of minutes ago.
It's being shelved among my favorites, and I'm adding the style it's written in to my list of inspiring writing styles. (Which now numbers two, by the way. )
I laughed, cried in the dance studio, and read those last twenty five pages utterly shocked. Totally and completely shocked.
Wonderful Things:
The writing, obviously. Zusak's style is dark, haunting, and lilting. He plays up description and inserts tidbits that are out of setting. He makes use of his adverbs, adjectives, and flat verbs in a way that simply makes the prose sparkle.
The characters. I'm naturally averse to female heroes. Don't ask why, 'cause I don't know, but I am. Yet here, I really grew to love Leisel Meminger. I really did. While the story is not "technically" told from her "Point of view" we're attached to her. And very attached.
Rudy. Max. Hans. Ilsa. All of them. They're so deep and human. Amazing.
And then there's Death. Yes, Death. This story is told in Death's words.
Death himself has a character all his own. I proudly label myself a Death fangirl.
There are a lot of positive things about this book. A lot.
Not-So Wonderful Things
Quite a bit of language. It didn't bother me overmuch, but I'm veeery tolerant. The biggest problem with it I think is that it's recurring. Not rapid fire, but certainly there. So that's kinda unsavory.
I tend to...not overlook, but wave at, language, when it's more prominent than "romantic" things. I'd much rather have the former than the latter, personally. As for the latter, there was next to none, which I was overly grateful for. There is one chapter that I skimmed. One might guess from its title, The Thought of Rudy Naked. XP To my knowledge it didn't hold overmuch important info, so skimming or skipping doesn't ruin it.
And that's it. I was impressed.
It's CERTAINLY not a children's book. Duh. :P It's dark and could be depressing, and there's the aforementioned not-so-wonderful things. But for me, it was amazing. The writing, the characters....The Book Thief glimmers, and it's a book I'm going to be reading again and again.
"I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right."
~Leisel Meminger.
So many great quotes. I'll write them down sometime.
The verdict: Amazing and inspiring to me. Don't read if you're squeamish of language or darkness. But it's an amazing read. <3
~Cecilie.
