The Book Wheel

Books, Politics, & More

  • Genres
    • Sortable Archive
      • Reviews by Author
      • Reviews by Genre
      • Reviews by Title
    • #30Authors
      • #30Authors Reviews
      • Lineup
    • Fiction
      • Historical Fiction
      • Mystery/Thriller
    • Non-Fiction
      • Biography
      • Economic
      • Memoir
      • Science/Tech/Psychology
      • True Crime
    • Political
    • More Options
      • 1001 List
      • Classics
      • Diverse
  • Book Club Picks
  • Lists
  • Other
    • Blogging
    • Career
    • Discussions
    • Lifestyle
    • Productivity
  • About
    • Accolades
    • Advertising
    • Policies
    • Resources
      • Authors
      • Contributors
    • What is a ‘Book Wheel’?

‘City of Thieves’ is Captivating

April 10, 2013 by Allison Hiltz 11 Comments

‘City of Thieves’ is CaptivatingCity of Thieves by David Benioff
Published by Viking Adult on May 15, 2008
Genres/Lists: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Pages: 258
Read synopsis on Goodreads
Buy the book: Amazon/Audible (this post includes affiliate links)four-stars


Some time ago, I picked up City of Thieves by David Benioff at the urging of my sister, who loved it. What I didn’t know until I wrote this post is that Benioff is the co-creater of the blockbuster show Game of Thrones, which I don’t watch – but I might now that I know he’s involved! Anyway, back to the review – I wasn’t in the mood for a serious read at the time, though, so I put it down after a few pages. But then I was picked to be a World Book Giver, and my book to give away is City of Thieves, so I knew I had to read it before I started handing it out.

This book follows the story of two young men who are arrested in Leningrad during WWII and are given the option to avoid death by procuring a dozen eggs for an NKVD officer within a week. Despite the virtual non-existence of eggs in the city under siege, the boys take off on an adventure that tests their will to survive, friendship, and loyalties.

I really enjoyed this book. Some of it was hard to read because, even though this book is fictional, the events within it were real for many people during WWII and it broke my heart and turned my stomach. But the mark of a great book is that it leaves a lasting impression, and this is one of them. At times darkly humorous, City of Thieves is a classic example of the word “page-turner.” I understand now why it was chosen as one of the choices for World Book Night.

Related Posts

  • Same Genre
  • 4 Star Books
  • Viking Adult
Happyland
High Praise For ‘Happyland’ (Book Review)
The President's Shadow
The President’s Shadow by Brad Meltzer
mating for life
‘Mating for Life’ and the Bonds Between Women (Book Review)
The Summer that Melted Everything
‘The Summer that Melted Everything’ – What Would You Do if the Devil Came to Town?
The Lake House
The Lake House by Kate Morton
The Why of Things by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop
Exploring Grief and ‘The Why of Things’
cee cee
“The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes” by Diane Chamberlain
Herman Koch Tackles Taboo Topics in ‘Summer House’
‘Outrageous Acts’ is Outstanding
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Book Review)
Nafisi’s New Book Links Fiction and Democracy
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
‘Rules of Civility’ is the Cat’s Meow
Why We Came to the City
Beautiful and Intricate, Why We Came to the City Shines
tale for the time being
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (Book Review)
‘Secret Rooms’ is an Exposé of the Wealthy (Book Review)

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged With: Historical Fiction

Email Newsletter

Sign up to get new reviews in your inbox the day they go live.

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Upcoming Reviews

Allison's books

Searching for Sylvie Lee
Searching for Sylvie Lee
by Jean Kwok
A Woman Is No Man
A Woman Is No Man
by Etaf Rum
The Leavers
The Leavers
by Lisa Ko

goodreads.com

Trending Now

Career, Marriage, and DC Politics Crash Together in ‘The Hopefuls’

Conquering the Classics: ‘The Bell Jar’ Blew Me Away

The Men Who United the States (Book Review)

Kudos for Killing Kennedy

#30Authors: Kristopher Jansma on Greg Jackson and Diversity in Writing

Ripped-From-the-Headlines’ “Mistress” Is Magnificent

‘Last Camellia’ is Lackluster

Content may not be reposted in full or without permission. This site includes affiliate links.

Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in