The Book Thief was a heart-wrenching tale of two German children caught amidst the fury, prejudice and devout patriotism of the Second World War. Liesl, the adopted daughter of Hans and Rosa Hubermann, splits her time between playing with her best friend, Rudy Steiner, running errands for her mother, and her favorite past time, reading. Liesl’s insatiable appetite for reading is what ultimately helps her and Max Vandenburg, a Jew whom the Hubermann’s hide in their basement, survive the incredible violence and evil that surrounds them. What starts out as an awkward relationship between the two soon blossoms into a friendly alliance and is ultimately cemented by their love of all things written. Zusak dots the pages of his book with unexplainable beauty as deeply meaningful and shining as the stars in his narrator’s night sky. Motifs and symbols are used seamlessly, tying the story together and allowing readers to revisit beloved characters after they have finished reading, helping to pick up on themes and ideas previously overlooked.