Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

7 reviews

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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camiandkitread's profile picture

camiandkitread's review

4.5
adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I wasn’t initially sure I was going to finish “Code Name Verity.” It took a while, maybe 75 pages or so before I got hooked on the story and wanted to know what came next.

It’s dark and upsetting—and I study WWII history for work and for pleasure. It’s a work of fiction but so well researched and authentic in its delivery that you know that the events aren’t just probable, it’s very likely—almost guaranteed—that they happened to many people during the war. There is a recurring theme of hope and resilience through the book that makes the difficult parts more bearable and that keeps you hooked to know what comes next.

In all, "Code Name Verity" was masterfully written and is an excellent book but a difficult one to say if I actually liked it. I was on the edge of my seat after the book found its rhythm but it gave me horrible nightmares after finishing it.

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book was riveting. I simply could not put it down. It is a story within a story, where the writing of the story is a part of the plot, and I am enamored with it. 

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I have to question what makes a book YA?  I did not think this painful, gruesome but glorious book was in any way YA.   It is definitely not for the faint of heart. It starts off simply enough with British plucky young women in early WW2, but told in a memoir in tortuous circumstances.  There are wheels within wheels in this novel.  I saw one of the twists, but not the others.  Powerful novel.  

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The book title itself was intriguing and how the heroine began the story was full of wit and humor as she takes readers on a journey with her being captured. She makes light of her situation. Maybe she seemed way too calm as a person. The personality was honed to the point where it doesn't scream for something to be feared for and it eases readers even when the situation the character is, in fact, dire. In the second part of the book, another point of view was taken to narrate the recent happenings and not just pure storytelling. It was a heartbreaking story of a precious friendship that occurred during a fictional event in the Second World War. There was overloaded information regarding the life of a spy and working about intel that at the same time didn't make you stop reading but, through its witty way of expressing it, made you love it.

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No

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