Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Only Elizabeth Wein can make planes and bombers exciting! As someone who is obsessed with Code Name Verity I’m always on alert for Wein’s next book. And since The Enigma Game is the same universe as Code Name Verity I was hooked! Taking place before Code Name Verity, The Enigma Game follows the perspective of 3 characters: Louisa, Ellen, and Jamie Beaufort-Stuart (for you CNV fans). In a remote part of Scotland these characters are brought together by an Enigma machine. In true Wein fashion, among a WWII backdrop, our characters are once again fighting the Nazi’s. To bring more diversity to her work, Wein extended her research to represent a variety of backgrounds for the characters. Louisa is part Jamican and English. And many of the bomber pilots represent different backgrounds as well. This story is good for an advanced YA reader. They get the action and picture of the war while learning about how crucial the Enigma code was. If you are looking for a well written historical fiction novel this is for you!
Read this all in a Christmas Eve gulp. Wein is SUCH a great story teller, and it was good to come back to some favorite characters and meet others. The friendship between Louisa and Jane, actually Jane herself was my favorite part. THAT'S what kind of an old lady I want to be.
Per usual, just brilliant work. I loved catching up with Jamie and Queenie again!
Grades 8 and up.
Grades 8 and up.
4.5/5-LOVE LOVE LOVE. I didn't find it as intense as Code Name Verity (thankfully) but I found myself enthralled. It even seemed fairly lighthearted until... the ending with all the feelings.
Code Name Verity was and is one of the best YA novels I've read for many years, so I was excited to read another WWII thriller featuring some of the same characters. However, although I enjoyed this in many ways, and its ultimate emotional impact was quite effective, this not only suffers by comparison to Verity but also as a stand-alone novel. I found the main plot line rather incredible, although revelations as the book progressed made some things make more sense. The notion of a sixteen-year-old girl accidentally getting her hands on a German decoding device and the way that she and her friends conspire to use it without informing anyone in authority about it was just too "Girls Own Paper"-ish for me. Because of the rapidly shifting POV (between three characters, not terribly distinguishable, which readers who follow my reviews will know is a pet peeve) it was difficult to engage with any of the characters individually. Minor characters, interesting in their own right, could have been developed further. This all sounds more critical than I really intend, and I recognize that it must be hard for an author to have all subsequent novels compared unfavourably to a previous one (although I loved The Pearl Thief), this ultimately was a bit of a disappointment.
Having loved Code Name Verity I was looking forward to this one, but I just didn’t gel with it as much as I did the first book.
I found myself zoning out during the plane scenes. I found the whole premise of the enigma machine made me frustrated - why did they keep it? This was never adequately explained away - it felt like a convenient plot point.
But I did adore the female characters in this - I thought the voices were distinct but they were also so connected with the challenges they faced. I particularly loved the friendship between Louisa and Jane which was beautifully written.
Sadly this wasn’t as good as Code Name Verity but I will explore the other books written in those series.
I found myself zoning out during the plane scenes. I found the whole premise of the enigma machine made me frustrated - why did they keep it? This was never adequately explained away - it felt like a convenient plot point.
But I did adore the female characters in this - I thought the voices were distinct but they were also so connected with the challenges they faced. I particularly loved the friendship between Louisa and Jane which was beautifully written.
Sadly this wasn’t as good as Code Name Verity but I will explore the other books written in those series.
Enjoyed this one...not quite as much as Code Name Verity, but I liked it. Really liked the feisty character of Jane.
Louisa has recently lost her parents in two different enemy attacks. She has taken on a position to be a companion for an elderly woman in Scotland. She doesn’t think what she is doing is helping the war, until a German pilot lands in Windyedge and brings an Enigma machine that can translate German code. Luisa is now working with a volunteer driver and a flight leader to decipher the puzzle that could change the course of the war. How far can these young people push the Enigma machine without the Germans finding out? Will they be able to help the war and keep themselves safe?
The Enigma Game is a companion novel to Code Name Verity. Readers do not need to have read any of the other books in this series to enjoy this historical fiction novel. World War II was a war with so many facets that are still being unearthed and I feel that makes it a treasure trove for any historical fiction fan. Wein has once again taken an aspect of this time that is not normally written about and crafted a story that is easy to fall for. The story is told in alternating voices, so readers will need to make sure they are paying attention to who is the current narrator. I recommend The Enigma Game to all readers who enjoy historical fiction or just a good story.
The Enigma Game is a companion novel to Code Name Verity. Readers do not need to have read any of the other books in this series to enjoy this historical fiction novel. World War II was a war with so many facets that are still being unearthed and I feel that makes it a treasure trove for any historical fiction fan. Wein has once again taken an aspect of this time that is not normally written about and crafted a story that is easy to fall for. The story is told in alternating voices, so readers will need to make sure they are paying attention to who is the current narrator. I recommend The Enigma Game to all readers who enjoy historical fiction or just a good story.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No