"City of Thieves" by David Benioff

258 pages

In the introduction of "City of Thieves," a young screenwriter named David is visiting his Russian-born grandparents to hear their account of the Nazis' blockade of Leningrad during World War II. At first, I thought maybe this was the author and that, therefore, the story was based on actual events, but I've since seen reviews online indicating that Benioff made the entire thing up and all of his grandparents were born in the United States. Anyway, as David's grandfather, Lev, begins to tell his story, the perspective shifts from David to Lev and goes back to 1941, when Lev was a 17-year-old private in the Red Army. He's caught taking items from a dead German paratrooper--aka "looting"--and arrested by his own leaders. Then he's given a strange opportunity by a powerful Russian colonel: find a dozen eggs for the colonel's daughter's wedding cake. If he completes the task within a week, he'll go free; if not, he will be given the standard sentence for looting during war time: execution. Finding some eggs should be no problem, right? Not in Leningrad in 1941, as the Germans had cut off supplies and blockaded the area. Lev has a partner in his quest, a young deserter named Kolya, who is also facing death if they don't complete their mission. The two are sort of an odd couple, as Lev is scrawny, shy, and quiet while Koyla is big, handsome, and loud. They squabble at first, but soon they learn to put their differences aside and even become friends as their quest takes them behind enemy lines.

"City of Thieves" blew me away, for several reasons. The story grabbed me immediately. It jumps into the action right away--the introduction is only a few pages long, and Lev is caught looting and arrested in the first few pages. The main premise--a pair of complete opposites wandering around in search of eggs--seems silly in contrast to the horrific environment the boys are in, and there is a lot of contrast in the tone as well. On one page I would be laughing at Kolya's antics and his interaction with Lev, and then on the next page they would witness a violent, sickening act of war that would make me cringe. At parts, the suspense had me at the edge of my seat, heart pounding. Despite the lack of background info on the characters, I completely connected with them as I learned little bits about their lives throughout the story. Though part of the ending broke my heart, I thought it was a satisfying conclusion. There's torture, cannibalism, and many other unpleasant things in this story, so I don't recommend it for those who are squeamish. But anyone who wants an exciting story that also makes you laugh AND feel something will probably love "City of Thieves."