CITY OF THIEVES by David Benioff

GRADE: A

This book is a blast! With vivid, memorable characters, including an endearing, vulnerable, and highly relatable protagonist, this is a novel that I would recommend to anyone. During the Nazi's savage siege of Leningrad during World War II, young Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and sentenced to death. He gets the opportunity for a pardon though, when he is given the near impossible task of collecting a dozen eggs for the wedding cake of the daughter of a powerful colonel. He's accompanied by a fellow inmate and sets out on an adventure that will change both of their lives forever.

It combines a beautiful coming of age story, an odd couple friendship, a buddy road trip, and a historical war thriller, producing an adventure that's truly exciting. I didn't think that a book that takes place during the deplorable conditions in the siege of Leningrad could be so enjoyable! You may recognize the writer's name, David Benioff. Yes, aside from being the creator/writer/producer, of the immensely awesome HBO adaptation, Game of Thrones, Denioff is also a very accomplished novelist. Make sure you check out his other first great novel, the crime drama, The 25th Hour.