Set in Nazi-era Germany, the novel follows a young girl who acquires books and navigates life in an adoptive household while war encroaches on daily routines. The narration comes from Death, offering an outside, occasionally amused perspective on civilians, loss, and the act of reading.

A modern adolescent discovers a tie to the old Greek gods and is thrust into a quest that mixes mythic monsters with contemporary urban life. The immediate pressure is a mission across landmarks to resolve a theft and personal mystery while learning who to trust.