The End

Oh woe! I finished the book! I actually finished last Sunday night, when I was babysitting. I just couldn't put the damn thing down! I spend so much time thinking about Liesel and Max, and the fact that all the other people were basically dead. It was devastating to read the section where Death is telling the story of how the families were found, in their beds asleep, or at the ktichen table, unassuming. I was particularly upset by Rudy's death, because I wanted he and Liesel to be the only survivors. It was much more interesting and surprising, though, that the mayor's wife came to rescue Liesel in the end. I never suspected that, and in the back of my mind I actually thought the mayor's wife would die in her library, making that connection to her son in this way.
Although the novel was long, and it was a very complete story about this whole network of people, I was left wanting more when I read the last page. I appreciated Zusak's little epilogue, just so I could be certain that Liesel lived a long and happy life, but what in the world happened to Max? I wanted to hear some story about how the two celebrated holidays and birthdays together. I am just never satisfied, I guess.
I have no real way of communicating in words the effect this book had upon me. I was sad, happy, and down right depressed in some parts. I was interested and engaged throughout the text. There were no parts I skipped over, or thought were boring. For this reason, I am so glad that the novel is slowly replacing "Night" in Jefferson County classrooms, because I can just imagine, as I said before, the rich discussions that could be had with students as they read. There are hundreds of writing assignments that could come from the novel, and projects galore. And, if I partnered up with the History teachers I could even approach the text cross-curricularly. I would just have to work on selling the book to students, because the first look at the sheer number of pages will probably instantly turn them off. That will be the challenge!