The Book Thief (about the author and brief summary)

I'm about 45 pages into The Book Thief, written by bestselling author Markus Zusak. In the novel, Markus intertwines real stories, passed down from his parents about things they witnessed in Austria and Germany during the Holocaust, with fictional writing. This young adult/historical fiction book received numerous awards and honors, including the following, to name a few:

 

National Jewish Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature

Book Sense Book of the Year Award for Children's Literature

Michael L. Printz Honor

Kathleen Mitchell Award (Australia)

Best Book by the School Library Journal and the Young Adult Library Services Association

Editors’ Choice in the Kirkus Review and Booklist

Markus Zusak was born in Sydney, Australia in 1975 and he still lives there today. His parents made education and literature priorities for their family, fueling Markus' interest in fictional writing, which began at an early age. The Book Thief was his fifth book, succeeding The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, When Dogs Cry and The Messenger.

Sources for information about the author:

http://www.chipublib.org/markus-zusak-biography/

http://www.gradesaver.com/author/markus-zusak

So far in the book, we've been introduced to Liesel Meminger, a ten year-old girl living with foster parents in the outskirts of Munich, Germany. Her mother became too ill to care for Liesel and her brother, who died on the train ride to the foster home. The only thing she can cling to, the last momento of her deceased brother and of her mother who abandoned her, is a book. A book she spotted in the snow. A book that was dropped by the poor boy who was given the unfortunate job of digging her brother's grave. A book that will change her life.

I'm intrigued as to where to book will go from here. Characterization and imagery have already proven to be phenomenal, creating crystal clear images for the reader of the setting and of who the characters are. I've already developed adorations and dislikes for certain characters in the story. The author utilizes side notes -- bolded, separated and spontaneous, but also relevant, thoughts -- to catch the reader's attention. He addresses certain terms that may be uncommon or unfamiliar as well as his personal beliefs about life, spoken through the narrator of the story. I can already begin to relate this book to others I've read, such as Night and Fahrenheit 451. I have no doubt that this book will be filled with many emotional, historical truths and outstanding writing techniques.

Here's a link to the trailer for the movie "The Book Thief" (based on the book)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92EBSmxinus

My Sister's Keeper (writing style & analysis)

With less than 60 pages left of My Sister’s Keeper, I’ve been swept right into the book’s captivating plot and I’m intrigued to find out how Jodi Picoult chooses to conclude this marvelous story. The book spans a time frame of eleven days – the time leading up to and including the trial. The book is broken up between Anna’s perspective and the views of her lawyer, brother and parents for each day. Each of the central, dynamic characters is extremely well developed through the use of these alternating narrative chapters. The reader can understand the reasoning behind each character’s actions, visualizing flashbacks and digging into similarly broken pasts. The following quote is just one example of the extraordinary writing style that gives us a glimpse into why each character acts as he/she does. We begin to understand that Jesse has become a lonely and reckless delinquent because of some insecurities and a lack of fulfillment during his childhood, always being overlooked in the presence of his sisters:

When I was eleven years old I got a skateboard. I never asked for one; it was a guilt gift. Over the years I got quite a few of these big ticket items, usually in conjunction with one of Kate's episodes. My parents would shower her with all kinds of cool s*** whenever she had to have something done to her; and since Anna was usually involved, she got some amazing presents, too, and then a week later my parents would feel bad about the inequality and would buy me some toy to make sure I didn't feel left out (Picoult 244). 

The author has perfectly crafted each individual storyline, ripping our hearts and minds in opposite directions, leaving us hopeful for an ending of happiness but also for one of justice. She has intertwined the lives of characters who might not otherwise be connected, if it weren’t for Anna. If it weren’t for Kate. In addition to posing ethical and legal questions, this book illustrates how great an impact one person can have on another person’s life. How connected we all are, even if only by one shared relationship or history. How complicated the intersection of paths can be. Jodi Picoult brilliantly connected a collection of seemingly random stories to form a tangled web of people, lives and histories. Brian: the loyal father, the firefighter, and his son: the boy who felt invisible, the lost cause, the arsonist. Anna: the girl seeking freedom, the daughter born to save her sister, the shadow, and her mother: the lawyer, the woman being sued by her own daughter, the mom who never meant any harm. Campbell: the attorney fighting for Anna’s rights, the witty, love-struck college kid, and his ex-girlfriend, Julia: Anna’s guardian ad-litem, the insightful and heartbroken outcast, the girl who’s willing to take the risk of giving second chances.

This ending of this book appears that it will go one of two ways: Anna wins or Anna loses. Kate dies with one of her sister’s kidneys or she dies with her own. Anna is miserable in sacrificing her health without a choice or she’s miserable in not saving her sister’s life. Heartbreak seems inevitable, and I have no doubt that the resolution will leave some problems unresolved. That it won’t be a fairytale ending, and it shouldn’t be. The outcome of the book should follow suit with the seriousness of the real-world topics introduced. I’m hoping and counting on a realistic ending, one that stays true to each character and how they’ve all been presented. But I don’t know what that ending consists of. I don’t know which way I want the jurisdiction to be swayed. I hope, for Anna’s sake, that she and Campbell win; I hope that Anna finally feels independent, like she has a purpose outside of feeding her sister’s life. But for the sake of Kate and her mother, I hope Anna loses; I hope Kate doesn’t feel like she’s being abandoned, I hope Sara doesn’t regret the choices she’s made to help her daughter. I'm very excited to finish this book and I look forward to reading more books by Jodi Picoult.

This is a link to some very powerful quotes in the book My Sister's Keeper:

http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1639903-my-sister-s-keeper?page=1