Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

  
  Title: Code Name Verity
  Author: Elizabeth Wein
  Publisher: Disney - Hyperion
  Publication Date: May 15th 2012
  Source: NetGalley
  My rating: 4 stars

  

Gosh I have no idea where to start this book; I’m not typically an historical fiction fan, and the only books I’ve read which are “war related” were the ones I was forced to read for my war module for my A2 English lit course and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak which had me endlessly sobbing. So I didn’t really know what to expect going into this book. 

Code Name Verity was really tough to get into, I would read a few pages, stop, read another few pages, get distracted by another book then try to get back into it. Some of the reasons I found it so tough was because I’ve just been devouring contemporary romances lately, so jumping straight into this which opened by focusing heavily on aircraft; the different types and the training required was hugely difficult. Also I was confused as soon as I started, as I had no idea who the narrator was, what was going on (the story would flit back and forth between time spans, what she did during the war effort and what was happening to her when she was captured). And we didn’t even know her name until much later on! 

I don’t want to say too much as it would probably give the whole plot away, but the gist of the story was that Verity was captured by the Gestapo, we don’t know how, we don’t really know where she is, or if anyone is on their way to rescue her, but the conditions are horrible. She’s given some paper and a pen to give every amount of detail as possible and if she doesn’t then there will be consequences.  Her friend Maddie who she was travelling with before she was captured has died; they’ve shown her the pictures so she doesn’t have much to live for but to tell the truth. Living with the guilt of Maddie's death and the torture she’s been put through, we are led through her memories leading up to her being captured, some are dire and heartfelt, but Verity brings so much more to the story. Despite the circumstances she finds herself in she is such a funny character some of her descriptions and writing had me laughing out loud, it definitely helped to lighten up the sombre consequences she found herself in.

It did take me until about 4o% that I properly understood what was going on and by that time I had formed such a close relationship with Verity; she’d been through so much but still put on a face of bravado and attempted to bat away her captors with her endless strength, intelligence and funny humour. I had thought that I knew how this story would turn out but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The unexpected twists and turns were like a punch to the gut and the events leading up to the climatic end I could never have been prepared for. I just wish things could have ended up differently.

The other characters; Maddie, Jamie, Rosalie and even Paul with his gropey hands brought so much to the story, that it was impossible not to fall so hard and fast for them.

I went into Code Name Verity with to be honest not much expectations, but Wein managed to deliver something which was achy, breathtaking and hauntingly bittersweet. I know it will remain a book which I won’t be able to forget.