Marcus Zusak charmed and entranced a mass audience with The Book Thief. Bridge of Clay is a totally different novel. This book swirls and swoops through different times, different stories, and different spotlighted characters until finally the saga of the Dunbar Boys is told. Reading it can be a challenge. At times, I was mesmerized. At times I was confused. And at other times I was repulsed by the violent brawling that fills the pages. But as I stuck with it, I was amazed at how he could make me believe and care about these characters who bear no relation to anyone I know. This is masterful storytelling. But it does not closely resemble The Book Thief. There were things that I loved in the details and there are many details. You may wonder how a story of brawling brothers, racing, horse racing, death, love, dirt, blood, the Iliad, the Odyssey, Michelangelo, a mule, the Pont du Gard, and buried skeletons with a typewriter can all come together under the unrelenting sunshine. You would be wise to wonder, but the tapestry that our author weaves is a fully integrated whole when finished. It is a novel that will challenge those who like their stories to be linear and clear. The style, the organization, the voices, and the extraordinary story telling all make this novel worth reading.

I'm in awe of Markus Zusak and his latest book, Bridge of Clay. This book is amazing in so many ways. The descriptions read like poetry - he has such a way with words! (In describing the Dunbars: "A family of ramshackle tragedy. A comic book kapow of boys and blood and beasts." or "But make no mistake - he was a wasteland in a suit; he was bent-postured, he was broken.") I could have highlighted most of the book with brilliant passages. It's funny, it's sad, it's tragic, it's heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. It's a book of love and of life, of family. Of the love of brothers. The way Zusak weaves in and out of the present and past is masterful. To me, it doesn't get any better than this. Absolutely loved the book from cover and cover and will read it again. Highly recommend this one for book clubs, as well; so many things to talk about! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

Nope, life is too short, too many good books to read and not enough time. I’m moving on.

The Book Thief is in my top 5 favorite books of all time. Markus Zusak has an amazing way of bringing his characters to life in such a way that they stay with me, long after the book is over. Bridge of Clay took years and years for Markus to write, which is quite an inspirational story in and of itself. While reading Bridge, I appreciated each detail of his writing because I knew how intentional it was for him. These five Dunbar brothers and their story is one that will stay with me. The writing of their tale is woven together so masterfully, poetically, gingerly. The story does not begin at the beginning--it begins in the present, which is the end; and then it goes back in time to the beginning. It's difficult to figure the timing out at first, but keep reading. The words drew me in and once I was in, I didn't want the story to end. I also tried to predict how Markus would tie all the pieces together at the end, as he did so masterfully in Book Thief. Bridge of Clay did not disappoint. The book ends back at the beginning. The circular way of writing adds layer upon layer to the characters and their dynamic relationship. The writing shows the complexity of these five Dunbar boys, but you will love them! I already want to read it again.

It cannot be by the same author as "The Book Thief". I could not get through the first few chapters. I could not figure out what was going on. I NEVER stop reading before the end. However , it was too difficult for me to complete. I wasted a good amount of money on the book.