City of Thieves: A Novel

Good book, loved it till the end, when a completely unnecessary plot twist absolutely pissed me off. I hate when that happens and it drove down my rating of this book. I cannot tell you how unnecessary it was and was a complete cop-out. Boo David, Boo.

Every once in a while I read a novel that it so riveting, fascinating,and memorable that I want to shout its brilliance to the world. City of Thieves now joins this company. The Eastern front of World War II has always been an interest of mine. Coupled with my enjoyment of mystery/thrillers, City of Thieves was a natural after I read a review in the Los Angeles Times. Author David Benioff is a wonderful storyteller as he grabs the reader, creates unforgetable characters in the stunning and horrific setting of the siege of Leningrad, and tells a story that is hard to put down. I will not retell the plot, but City of Thieves starts out as two unwilling young men embark on a seemingly impossible journey in the pursuit of a dozen eggs for a Soviet Colonel that must be accomplished in order for them to survive. As the storyline progresses, it also becomes a picaresque tale as these two and then a young female partisan are engulfed in both a battle for survival and a coming of age, against the backdrop of the horrors and terror of a brutal war. There are also glints of hope, humor, and romance to warm the reader. It could have turned into a bloated and corny melodrama. However, author Benioff avoided this with a crisp and concise plot that avoids the gratuitous, undeveloped, and spontaneous actions that can make a thriller or mystery ridiculous and ultimately an unsatisfying waste of time. This is not a long novel at 258 pages, but perhaps the compactness is part of its success. Benioff tells a wonderful story without any fluff that bogs down many longer books. It is a vivid and unforgettable tale that leaves much to the imagination, yet satisfies the reader. I wish I could have given it 6 stars!

This book has everything - history, intrigue, drama, harsh reality, excitement, and even humor. I look forward to reading other books by Benioff.

A good page-turner. This one will appeal to those who love WW II military stories and anyone who loves an odyssey through a dystopian landscape. Lev, a Jewish boy too young for the Soviet army, is arrested for looting the body of German bomber pilot that lands near his apartment. But instead of the usual punishment of a bullet in the head, he is sent on an impossible quest with Koyla, an army deserter Don Juan who fancies himself a conman. Their goal: locate a dozen eggs for a wedding cake to be made for a Russian colonel's daughter in a city under siege and without food. This story will grab ahold of you and keep you reading page after page.

City of Thieves has a story that pulls you in and keeps you reading. It tells a wonderful and horrible story of what the Russian people went through during their occupation of WWII. Benioff uses just the right amount of humor and characters that you really care about. Buy it!