Play Book Tag discussion

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - 3 stars - My Review

Historical fiction set in Nazi-occupied France in WWII about two young British women, one a spy and the other a pilot. It opens with a prisoner of the Gestapo writing a “confession” of what she knows about the British war effort. She writes in the form of a novel, told in third person from the perspective of her friend, the pilot that dropped her in France. It is a story of their friendship and their roles in the war.

The author stays realistic to the era in terms of how the women talk and behave, and there are no glaring anachronisms. I like the story of female friendship and going behind the scenes of the French resistance. The second story informs the first in a clever manner. The pace and drama pick up in the second half.

The primary drawback is the plot device, the confession in novel form. The Gestapo would have no patience with it. The spy was already being tortured and it would be easy for them to force her to stick to the facts. The device keeps calling attention to itself, and I could not get immersed into the story without thinking about it.

This book is marketed as young adult, and it is a more complex story than many YA novels I have read. There are a few torture scenes and graphic descriptions of violence. I appreciate the author’s notes about where she strayed from the historical record. It contains dark humor and a spirit of defiance, which I think the target market will appreciate.

I read this earlier this year. I think that I liked it, but it was another one of those books that the hype made it fall short of the expectation. I really love this group for being able to share these books especially as the tags come around.

I liked it too , Amy, and I agree, it's great sharing with everyone!

(Btw, my rating of 3 stars means I liked it but it had an issue or two that kept me from saying I liked it a lot. )