Review: Code Name Verity

Author: Elizabeth Wein
Publish date: May 2012
Source: Library
"Oct. 11th, 1943—A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn’t stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?

Harrowing and beautifully written, Elizabeth Wein creates a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other. Code Name Verity is an outstanding novel that will stick with you long after the last page." (Goodreads)

I will start out this review by saying that I went into Code Name Verity with a completely open mind. I had heard a lot of great things about it, but because I often hype books up too much in my head, I tried to just read and enjoy Code Name Verity. That said, I read it and I feel like I'm the only person who did not love it.

First, what I liked. I loved the writing, I really did. Elizabeth Wein has a way with words and I thought the writing was just spot on. All the dialogue seemed real and I could imagine the characters in my head. Going along with that, I enjoyed that the book was mostly about female friendship. I feel like most books these days center around romance and it was great to read about friendship. Friends are awesome!

That all said, I just never really got into the book. Maybe it was the actual style in which the book was written (not the writing, but the confession type thing), but I never wanted to sit there and read and do nothing else. I'd read a chapter, find something else to do, and then not want to pick it back up. It's not that the plot wasn't interesting, it just never grabbed me. Really, though, I feel like I'm the only person who did not love this one. I almost feel bad about it, like I'm being mean by not liking it that much, but hey, we all like different books.

Even though I didn't love Code Name Verity, I think a lot of people will, so try this one out! You might love it!