Even Stevens’s #CBR5 review #19 – Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Now this, folks, THIS is how you do a book right. Code Name Verity is set during World War II and tells the story of two friends, Queenie and Maddie. Queenie, a Scottish girl serving in the British army, is captured in Germany and in her captivity, she is allowed paper to write down her story, telling both how she came to be in the position she was and how she and Maddie became friends.

I don’t want to reveal much more of the story for fear of spoiling it, and plus, Queenie tells it a heck of a lot better anyways. Queenie is a fierce little thing whose Scottish accent (and temper) comes out when she gets angry. Even though the novel is written in epistolary form, which I find sometimes to be static and one-sided, you get a great sense of who Queenie is and there is a great deal of humor, suspense, heart and drama.

I loved every page of this book and I knew going into it that there would be a twist or two, but this book had more loops than a roller coaster. I’m one of those people who likes to try to figure out what the plot twists are going to be, and while I got some, Wein certainly threw a few curveballs at me that I did not see coming and she hit it out of the park (hey look, a baseball analogy!).

POSSIBLE OBLIQUE SPOILER AHEAD

REALLY, NOT THAT BAD, BUT DON’T READ ON IF YOU WANT TO BE TOTALLY UNAWARE

What I really and truly loved about Wein’s writing style is that she just kept the twists coming and when the big scene comes, the one where you wait for the miraculous twist, you just know it’s coming… it doesn’t come. That scene sucker punched me right in the gut. I’m actually tearing up just writing about it, so kudos for that, Ms. Wein

END SPOILER

 

This is a book that I need to read over again so I can piece in the information that is revealed later on. And when the time comes for that re-read, I will do so with pleasure. Basically, this book is wonderful. The characters are wonderful, the story is wonderful, the mystery and intrigue are wonderful, so go read it and see for yourself.

Jen K’s #CBR5 Review #95: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

This was such a great novel! I was very impressed with the story and how much research the author incorporated into the book. The novel begins with the written confession of “Verity,” or Queenie as she refers to herself, a British agent captured in France by German agents. After being tortured, she has agreed to give the Germans the information they want and has already revealed codes. Given her status, she knows she has very little time left before she dies, and realizes that once they have her confessions she will likely die or get sent somewhere even worse than the Gestapo headquarters. As a result, her confessions may seem a bit long, chronicling her friendship with Maddie, an English pilot, before she finally reveals more about herself and her mission, but her captors are both impatient and oddly tolerant of her tangents. The commander of the Gestapo frightens Queenie but often surprises her with his knowledge of literature, even stating that she is a student of the novel, and writing her story in that way. Queenie does an amazing job of telling her and Maddie’s story while interspersing her present day predicament and the fear she faces.

Full Review.

lgesin’s review of Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity is the story of a friendship between 2 women during World War II: upper class Scot and debutante Julie and working class Maddie.  The two halves of the book tell the tale of how they meet, become friends, join the war effort, and are shot down over France during a rather unusual mission.  Julie is captured by the Germans and Maddie dies in the crash.  The first half of the book is Julie’s confession written on paper that varies from sheet music to unused recipe cards.  She gives her captors what they want in return for her clothing and slightly better treatment.  At the close of her section, it appears that the story of Julie and Maddie is over.

Until you turn the page.

To read more of my review, visit my website.