I picked this book up because I kept seeing it named as a must read. I thought maybe it would be a lighthearted book about a character that stole other books. I was not in the least prepared for what it turned out to be.
This book is beautiful. It is narrated by Death, and not the normal scythe holding Death either. A confused, broken, almost human death.
This books grabbed me from the start and didn't let me go. It's been a while since I've spent whole days waiting until the moment when I could read. But it couldn't be a small moment either. I longed for long stretches of time to really go through this book.
Last night, while sitting on a hotel bed, I opened the book to somewhere around the middle, where I had left off the night before, and I read until there were no more pages. I told myself I was not going to finish it that night, that I had to sleep and maybe I'd read a 1/4 so I'd only have a 1/4 left for the next night. But deep down I knew better. Yesterday morning, before leaving the air mattress in Nicole's living room, I knew better. I knew I was going to lay in this hotel bed and devour the rest of the book.
What I did not know was that I would finish it with tears generously running from my eyes.
This book is anything but light hearted. The read is well worth it though. I'm glad I didn't take the time to read the back, I just blindly accepted the name and dove in.
I don't regret reading this book. I often shy away from even slightly depressing stories, if I see anything about war on the back of a book I generally put it back. I'm not the one for war. I'm a bleeding heart. I feel pain in my chest when I read books or see movies that get to the ugly truth of what we say we do for a better world. Most recently Ides of March comes to mind, though it isn't a war movie per say.
I'm incredibly glad I read this book though. I will not forget it.
xoxo
Jonny has read this and really liked it as well. Next on my list!,
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