Book Club - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

This was a book that I had not chosen to read per say, but literally had thrust into my hands several months ago (thanks Elle hehe).  And I'm glad it was, because it was a very good read.  I really liked the writing style of the author (who I've just realised was a man...for some reason as I was reading it I assumed it was a woman? Anyway...ahem), it is written in third person, but as the main character is a young boy the writing style fits the mentality of a young mind.  I like the way the author describes things in a way a child would understand, instead of simply stating it in words like an adult would.  For example, when Bruno was angry, it didn't say "Bruno was really angry," but instead said something along the lines of "Bruno felt his arms go really stiff by his sides and his mouth formed the shape of an 'O'."  Things were described how he saw them.  If he didn't understand a word that was being said then that's all we were told as readers, left to fill in the full picture with our perceptive adult minds.  I found it to be a really easy and pleasant read written in this style.

Even though the book portrays some difficult themes and truths about the way Jews were mistreated in Nazi Germany, I wasn't finding the story too unpleasant, until near the end.  I somehow had an idea of how the story might end, yet it started to happen I still gasped and went "nooooooo!!!" and found the last part of the book really sad and difficult to read.  But I'm really glad I read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it.  

What are your thoughts?