"Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

  I heard about Code Name Verity on the book blog called "Yearning to Read," which is on my bloglist. The review said it was good, but I wasn't expecting that much. Then I read it...and, it was pretty intense. I've spent hours figuring out how to do this review (then writing and editing it) and I finally decided. In this post I'll introduce the book, and in the next one, I'll tell you what I thought about it.

   Genre: A review somewhere called Code Name Verity a "spy thriller," and yes, it's definitely thrilling to read, and it is about spies, but that label cheapens it. I would just call it "historical fiction."

One of the planes Maddie flies

   The Barest Details: This book is hard to summarize because most details about the plot are also huge spoilers. I want you to be surprised! So I'll just give you the barest details. If you want a more comprehensive review and don't mind spoilers, Google the title.

   Code Name Verity is  about two girls, Maddie and the narrator, who both use their special skills to help the war effort. It takes place in England, Scotland, and France during World War II. The narrator writes from her prison cell, recounting for her Nazi captors how she got from her homeland of Scotland to where she is now. Maddie is a pilot, and the narrator is a radio operator.

Here is the book trailer: Code Name Verity
Before you read CNV, it would be helpful to know the song "The Last Time I Saw Paris" .

Rating: 16+ (I'm stricter than "Yearning to Read")

*Free photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net