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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
No
In 1943, "Verity", a British spy, is captured in France and being interrogated and tortured by the Gestapo for information about Allied military information. Written in the form of a confession, Verity tells the story of her friendship with Maddie, a pilot in the Air Transport Auxiliary, and how they ended up crash landing behind enemy lines in France. This book contains many twists and the reader will begin to question what is truth and what are lies in Verity's story.
I had a hard time getting into this book at first. It was a slog getting through the first 100 pages or so. I also thought the tone of the first part of the book to be a little off-putting. Verity writes in a very chipper, jolly tone, and I didn't think it was fitting for the context she was in. After finishing the book, I understand why her tone was the way it was, but at first I found it a little strange. There is a huge twist half-way through the book. After this I really got into it, and I was amazed at the complexity of the story. I do not understand why this book is categorized as a YA novel. I think the unreliable narrator and complex plot structure may make this difficult for a younger reader.
I had a hard time getting into this book at first. It was a slog getting through the first 100 pages or so. I also thought the tone of the first part of the book to be a little off-putting. Verity writes in a very chipper, jolly tone, and I didn't think it was fitting for the context she was in. After finishing the book, I understand why her tone was the way it was, but at first I found it a little strange. There is a huge twist half-way through the book. After this I really got into it, and I was amazed at the complexity of the story. I do not understand why this book is categorized as a YA novel. I think the unreliable narrator and complex plot structure may make this difficult for a younger reader.
This book started out so slow and in a way that I wasn't expecting that I nearly gave up just pages in. Don't quit! Keep going, it's a marvelous story and told in a way that may have been initially off-putting but once you settle in, becomes comfortable and enveloping.
I won't say much so as not to give away any spoilers, but if you are interested in WWII historical fiction - READ THIS.
I won't say much so as not to give away any spoilers, but if you are interested in WWII historical fiction - READ THIS.
Code Name Verity is a book about the deep bond between two friends: Maddie, a Scottish pilot and “Verity,” an English spy. The two women find themselves in German occupied France on a mission where everything goes wrong, and each are hell-bent to carry out their part of a botched mission.
What I liked: I haven’t read an epistolary novel since The Color Purple and this one took me a bit to get situated because we bounce between a written confession and Verity’s thoughts during and after writing. Then, halfway through, we switch to the same process for Maddie as the timeline starts over through her diary kept in hiding while she joins the French Resistance. This might be easier navigated in written form but I devoured this tale as an audiobook (BTW - spectacular narrators on Audible!) With that caveat in mind, once I got used to the rhythm and got to know each protagonist, I feel in love with this deeply personal means of storytelling. Hats off to author Elizabeth Wein for masterful letter-writing story skills!
What I loved: I am a giant sucker for overlooked stories being unearthed via historical fiction. I hold this genre near and dear to my heart because with each story well told, I feel not only more knowledgable about a life in that particular era, but a deeper empathy for another walk of live. To be a woman during WWII who wants to reconstruct engines, fly planes, or battle in multilingual wits was an uphill battle by gender, let alone the rest of the logistical hurdles. Code Name Verity absolutely delivered on research woven into a harrowing tale.
What I liked: I haven’t read an epistolary novel since The Color Purple and this one took me a bit to get situated because we bounce between a written confession and Verity’s thoughts during and after writing. Then, halfway through, we switch to the same process for Maddie as the timeline starts over through her diary kept in hiding while she joins the French Resistance. This might be easier navigated in written form but I devoured this tale as an audiobook (BTW - spectacular narrators on Audible!) With that caveat in mind, once I got used to the rhythm and got to know each protagonist, I feel in love with this deeply personal means of storytelling. Hats off to author Elizabeth Wein for masterful letter-writing story skills!
What I loved: I am a giant sucker for overlooked stories being unearthed via historical fiction. I hold this genre near and dear to my heart because with each story well told, I feel not only more knowledgable about a life in that particular era, but a deeper empathy for another walk of live. To be a woman during WWII who wants to reconstruct engines, fly planes, or battle in multilingual wits was an uphill battle by gender, let alone the rest of the logistical hurdles. Code Name Verity absolutely delivered on research woven into a harrowing tale.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Beautifully written with an amazing voice. Heartbreaking and enthralling.
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I thought it was well thought out and clever but I struggled to make an emotional attachment to any of the characters. Found the technical bits a bit boring e.g the airplanes.
It was a bit slow in the beginning but it is so worth it to push through. This book was truly beautiful.
Slow at first, but I'm so glad I stayed with it. Interesting characters and twist and turns you don't see coming. The author does a fantastic job of tying all the threads together at the end. Loved it.