Tag archives for Markus Zusak
Posted by BOOK NAME: The Book Thief
AUTHOR: Markus Zusak
Liesel Maminger is a thief. She has a habit of picking up books and taking them…for good. The Nazi book-burnings are where she is the most successful–she justifies that taking just one book won’t make a big difference. With the help of her accordion-playing foster Papa, Liesel learns to read. She feeds her soul with books and uses them to create a better world for herself and family.
I think the Jew that lives in Liesel’s basement, Max is my favorite character. The love he has for Liesel is just amazing. Max shows his fatherly love for Liesel by doing simple things, such as writing her a short letter, and she does the same in return. I like how Liesel’s foster mother’s personality unfolds; she acts bitter and mean, yet inside she is really kind and loving. One thing I don’t appreciate is how she curses at her daughter. The characters were all so different, but combined all of them made this book more than memorable.
This book was just flat-out amazing. It was well written and the author was incredibly descriptive! I’ve written a review on his other book, I Am The Messenger, and that one was just as superb. This author writes great books for young adults and teens.
Markus Zusak wrote this book from death’s point of view, so at times it was a bit complicated and confusing. Honestly, there were a few parts where I just read a whole page over again to understand it. I strongly suggest teens interested in reading this book to look up a sample page from the first chapter online before purchasing. I had to stop at times and let parts of the book sink in, but I also think that’s why I have truly loved it so much.
BOOK NAME: I Am the Messenger
AUTHOR: Markus Zusak
Ed Kennedy has nothing going for him… nothing at all. Living in a dirty shack, he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and is devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. Ed works as an underage cab driver and plays cards on the weekends with his friends… losing at every game. His life seems to have no meaning, until he unwittingly stops a bank robbery. From there he is different.
“Protect the diamonds, survive the clubs, dig deep through the spades, and feel the hearts.” These are Ed’s instructions. Ever since Ed received an ace in the mail he became a messenger. Ed had a choice, to care or not to care. Choosing to care, Ed followed the instructions helping, caring, and hurting people. Whatever the card wanted him to do.
This book had the common story line of the character’s life changing due to something that occurred, but it came in an unusual form. I’ve never read anything that had to do with playing cards like this one. I enjoyed the personality of Ed and his pathetic friends, Marv and Ritchie. One of the little things I liked about this book was that the author included what Ed thought the Doorman (his dog) was thinking when certain things happened.
There were some things in I Am the Messenger that I wasn’t comfortable with, as the book was in the teens section. However, the story was so great, I am going to read his other book, The Book Thief!
