City of Thieves is historical fiction, literary too, at its best. The tale of young Lev is masterfully told in the first person, all of which is properly framed as a narrative to his grandson. The story is compelling, the setting is (painfully) rich, and the characters are living and breathing. It's a fantastic combination of the far-fetched and believable. It's grim, and it's gruesome, but what do you expect out of any tale surrounding the siege of Leningrad? That said, open this book only after having bolstered your intestinal fortitude. It isn't over-the-top, but neither is it a quaint tale. 
 I listened to the audio version, and Ron Perlman does a masterful reading of it. I look forward to reading more of his writing.