Georgy Stepanov Stepanov itibaren Günerli, Günerli, 35665 Menemen/İzmir, Turkey itibaren Günerli, Günerli, 35665 Menemen/İzmir, Turkey

There were many things that made me hesitate when beginning this book, especially since I had just finished a row of "so sad it'll make you cry" books and the friend who recommended it said "it's my now favorite book but it made me bawl my eyes out" when I told her I just started it. After sitting on my shelf for about 3 weeks I finally finished the second half [stopping before I got to the point where the so sad it makes you cry parts began] needless to say all those tears were worth it. Markus Zusak weaved together a vivid and heartbreaking image of the side of WWII that many of us seem to over look, and is often left silent. The beginning of the book might be a little difficult to follow, and some might be cynical and overly critical of the narrator choice of the story, personally I think it was a genius choice considering what many peoples first thought is when they think WWII. This book made me laugh cry, think, appreciate and cringe over the way civilization is conditioned to behave with each other. This book is a must read of anyone who might still have prejudices/stereotypes about occupied german and those unfortunate enough to know better but be incapable of changing the mob-mentality that runs the popular majority of the countries opinion. In the end I guess my friend was right, it does make you bawl your eyes out, but you can't help but fall in love with it anyway.