Friendship and Mind Games
7:01 AM
Summary of Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
It's 1943 and a British plane has just crash landed in Nazi occupied France. Both the pilot and the passenger, a female British spy, are best friends. When "Verity" is captured by the Gestapo, she is given two choices: reveal her mission or be executed. As she confesses her mission, Verity starts at the very beginning, detailing her past and how she came to be friends with the pilot Maddie. Verity will tell the Gestapo anything they want to know, but will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?
Review
Have you ever read a book that was so well written, so masterfully plotted that when you finish reading it, you sit in a dazed stupor? That is exactly how I felt at the end of Code Name Verity. The two female main characters develop beautifully throughout the story and the plot twists in this book will play some serious mind games on you.I haven't read much historical fiction, but what drew me to this book was the fact that it focuses on people history often overlooks. For hundreds and hundreds of years, women were ignored by history. Their stories weren't deemed worthy of being recorded. So, when I saw this book was about a female pilot and a female spy, I knew I had to read it. Before reading this book, I didn't even know there were female pilots during World War II! Elizabeth Wein definitely did her research.
Wein also created strong female heroines who were strong in different ways. Maddie, a pilot, holds her own in a male dominated profession, while Verity's confidence in herself helps save lives and makes her an excellent spy. The story of these two courageous young women encourages women to follow their passion even if the job isn't "normal" for a woman to do and tells them confidence is something to be celebrated. The friendship which blossoms between these two strong young women is natural and heartwarming. I also loved the fact that friendship is the main focus in this story. After reading so many YA books where romance is the focus, it was a nice change of pace to read about Maddie and Verity's friendship.
I don't want to spoil any of the plot twists which make Code Name Verity such a rollercoaster of a read; however, I will say that it is the type of story that will stay with you for a very long time. If you're looking to read a historical fiction book with strong female characters and a plot that will have you second guessing everything you know, read Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.
4 comments
*walks to the window, takes a deep breath, and screams* YES CODE NAME VERITY IS FABULOUS. Seriously, the mind games. I wasn't 100% into the writing style but I really loved the plot twists and the characters.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Alyssa! I'm glad you share my love of Code Name Verity. Yes, the writing style was a bit slow at times, but the plot and characters definitely made up for it:)
DeleteI don't really read historical fiction much, but this book was so incredibly lovely. Whilst it isn't one of my favourites, like it is for a lot of people, I appreciated everything about it. I loved the fact that it focussed on stories that are so often left untold, and that there's an ambiguity to the friendship between Maddie and Verity that leaves it open to reader interpretation.
ReplyDeleteThat ending was absolutely heartbreaking, though.
Thanks for reading, Chiara! Yes, the ending hit me right in the feels!
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