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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Well written but tough subject
The story lines of both Maddie and Julie both are very engaging, especially as we learn more about each from the other. I did thoroughly enjoy this book, but something about it seems a little forgettable.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
gripping and twisty, deeply emotional
The first half is decent, and at parts difficult to follow. But that is intentional. Get past it and the second half is epic.
WOW. Code Name Verity is not my usual book: it's got torture, for crying out loud! It has pain and sadness and moral conflict and you just don't know how it's going to turn out!
But it is a dazzling read. The two readers of the Bolinda Audio version are amazing, and the story itself is well written, exciting, and historically and morally illuminating. I've always wondered about how I'd deal with torture (my hunch is that I'd spill my guts in the first moment) and what it would've been like to live during WWII--this books deals with both those questions, intently, honestly, and thoughtfully. The characters are great; the two halves of the book work well together, and the conclusion (there are actually several conclusions) is satisfying. Though Wein's afterword makes it clear that this is not really a historical novel, it illuminates a time period and a situation (life in Occupied France) extraordinarily well.
Again, I am amazed at how much I enjoyed this book. That said, I am not going to listen to Wein's new novel about life in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. I may read it so I can skim!
But it is a dazzling read. The two readers of the Bolinda Audio version are amazing, and the story itself is well written, exciting, and historically and morally illuminating. I've always wondered about how I'd deal with torture (my hunch is that I'd spill my guts in the first moment) and what it would've been like to live during WWII--this books deals with both those questions, intently, honestly, and thoughtfully. The characters are great; the two halves of the book work well together, and the conclusion (there are actually several conclusions) is satisfying. Though Wein's afterword makes it clear that this is not really a historical novel, it illuminates a time period and a situation (life in Occupied France) extraordinarily well.
Again, I am amazed at how much I enjoyed this book. That said, I am not going to listen to Wein's new novel about life in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. I may read it so I can skim!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book is beautiful and shocking and clever. It will grip you from it's very first line. ("I am a coward.") It is set during World War II in Britain and is about a wartime relationship, but not a romance. It's a love story, but one about platonic love between two friends, not firework-y romantic love. Agape, not eros.
It is well-written, relentlessly researched (but in a pleasant way), and rigorouse well-plotted.
It is a rare gem of a book; one to be treasured.
Highest possible recommendation. (As in: I have just sent it as a gift to my best friend in the world.)
It is well-written, relentlessly researched (but in a pleasant way), and rigorouse well-plotted.
It is a rare gem of a book; one to be treasured.
Highest possible recommendation. (As in: I have just sent it as a gift to my best friend in the world.)