Similar to The Book Thief

[DifferentDrum]

DD, aged almost 15, struggles to find books she likes now. Recently read and enjoyed the Book Thief and I wondered if anyone could recommend anything similar? Google suggests The Kite Runner but having read a synopsis it sounds like there's an assault which may be a bit too graphic/ upsetting.

Maybe The true story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy.

The Dictionary of Lost Words - Pip Hill.

All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr.

@Clawdy

All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr.

Was just about to suggest that!

@DifferentDrum

DD, aged almost 15, struggles to find books she likes now. Recently read and enjoyed the Book Thief and I wondered if anyone could recommend anything similar? Google suggests The Kite Runner but having read a synopsis it sounds like there's an assault which may be a bit too graphic/ upsetting.

I would say 15 is ok for the kite runner, there is a rape but it's not too graphic. his other books are all amazing too. The tattooist of Auschwitz The nightingale Everyone brave is forgiven Salt to the sea Life after life The Alice network

Yes to All the Light

Yes to the The Kite Runner (but not his others, because they are rubbish)

Or maybe something like The Green Mile or The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King.

Or Mort by Terry Pratchett

A relative of mine who is slightly older than that is reading The Rose Code by Kate Quinn and is really enjoying it. It is set in a similar time period. I haven't read it myself but it sounds really good.

Memoirs of a Geisha?

Thanks for the suggestions. Some books here I've never heard of so will investigate. Memoirs of a Geisha used to be one of my favourite books actually so will think about that.

Mort by terry Pratchett is a fantastic book, loved it from about 15. Similar theme to memoirs of a geisha is Across the Nightingale Floor.
I also loved Memoirs of Cleopatra - Margaret George and Helen (of Troy) at a similar age, great fictional springboards into a period of history, if that the element she found interesting in the Book Thief. I loved that book too :)

Across the Nightingale Floor is fabulous. Nothing like 'The Book Thief' but really gripping - the rest of the series isn't bad either, if she enjoys this one.

I loved The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern

I loved the story teller- judi picoult.
Passed it to my daughter she loved it too. Don’t know where it is now as everyone who read it passed it to a friend.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie
I thought a thousand splendid suns was good.
Thinking of reading it again as it seems very relevant now with the situation in Afghanistan.

@Cassimin I thought it was about as subtle as Boris Johnson's underpants.

Agree that JP might appeal to teenage girls. I liked her one that was a retelling (iso) of the Salem witch trials. Can't remember title.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie
😂
I thought I was educating myself!!

Tbf I think I'd I've liked it aged 15.

That made no sense - I meant to say I would've probably liked it aged 15.

When I was around 15 I remember the flowers in the attic books were really popular.
I bought them for my daughter, she started the first one and thought it was awful.
I thought the goldfinch was good too.

Oh god, I LOVED The Flowers in the Attic series aged about 13!

I also adore The Flowers in the Attic as a teenager. Would not recommend for a teenager now!

DD (14) and all her friends are obsessed with The Song of Achilles.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Across the Nightingale Floor is fabulous. Nothing like 'The Book Thief' but really gripping - the rest of the series isn't bad either, if she enjoys this one.

I was going to suggest this one too. Excellent book.

The Ruby and the Smoke is the book that I wish I’d found when I was 15. It’s not at all similar to Book Thief, but I love both.

Yes, yes and thrice yes to The Ruby in the Smoke and the rest of the series. They're so good - better than the Dark materials series imo.

@JaninaDuszejko Would not recommend for a teenager now!
Why not? I'm in favour of pretty much anything that keeps teens reading tbh, and they're nothing worse in them than they'll almost certainly have encountered in films etc by now, I'd think.