I have been hearing about The Book Thief for some time, so knew pretty much what it was about, but nothing prepared me for how completely enthralling and touching this book is. 
 Set in the middle years of World War 2 in a small German town between Munich and Dachau, the story follows nine year old Liesel, sent to stay with a foster family when her communist parents are interned. 
 As you might expect given the setting, the novel is utterly heart wrenching, but also filled with pure beauty and, unexpectedly, many genuinely hilarious moments. 
 Zusak shows us how, even in the darkest of times, small acts of kindness can mean everything, how difficult and vital are small instances of bravery and resistance, how even when it may seem utterly futile any seed sown amongst the devastation may bring forth shoots and, most of all, the power and importance of words to connect people and keep hope alive. 
 This is a truly wonderful work of fiction, humane and profound, funny and devastatingly sad.