jenrefiction 's review for:

The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein

4.0

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3.5 stars, rounding up, but it just didn't quite hold up to expectations for me. Not because it wasn't enjoyable or interesting -- it was both, and just as well-researched as you'd expect from Wein. Just, coming from the same literary universe as the incredible Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire, this one just didn't have the same stakes or depth to it. (And neither did The Pearl Thief really, in terms of the stakes, but since that one was pre-war it wasn't as expected and it still brought a lot more to Julie's character.) Even some of Jamie's descriptions of his flight missions got a bit dry for me, but that's just a matter of personal interest. All in, it was a quick and enjoyable enough read, and it was nice to revisit some old characters and meet a couple new ones, but this one felt a bit younger and definitely less purposeful than Wein's other books in the series. I still wholeheartedly recommend reading the others and this one is a fine addition to the canon.