Review ~ Code Name Verity ~ Review

Title: Code Name Verity

Author: Elizabeth Wein

Publication Date: February 6, 2012

Publisher: Egmont Press
Format: Hardback, 343 pages

Source: Own (Bought)

Rating: 5 stars

Description:
I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ 

I do not know how I finished this book. Not because it wasn't good. Because it was that good. 

I am going to try to do this without spoilers, but let's be honest. There will probably be spoilers. If there are, I will make them where they have to be highlighted to be read, though. Hopefully that will allow anyone and everyone to read my review without worries. :)

Honestly, I only started this book because Malissa told me I had to. She did the same thing with The Hunger Games (and by that I mean she bought me a copy so I was forced to read it out of guilt... lol), and I had absolutely no regrets. She has yet to steer me wrong in any other recommendations. Yet. And we can keep saying yet as I have no regrets with reading this one either. It was a slow start, though. I lacked the time to devote to simply reading. But once I was able to dive into it properly, I wanted to devour it. So much so that I had to place something (hand, bookmark) below where I was reading so I wouldn't try to read ahead!  

The story begins with a female character narrating and she has been captured and tortured. But her attitude, her snarkiness, her determination and strength, fight, was amazing. She was giving them information in exchange for prolonging her life (no spoilers yet, I promise). The writing, the character (who shall remain nameless to prevent any spoilage) development - superbly done. Beautiful, haunting, heartbreaking... It felt like she was talking to me rather than writing her story for someone else. Then the first part ends. And by ends I mean, just cut off mid-sentence. What the hell just happened? Really? Who does that? And makes it work!? Elizabeth Wein, apparently. ;) 

Begin part two. We meet Kittyhawk, another female character (I'm really trying for no spoilers, so I'm stealing a codename... lol). Different from character number one in personality traits, but just as strong. I swear I could feel her panic, her desperateness. Which is just another kudo for Wein. There was one part, I'm nearly crying as I write this, where I almost screamed out loud. Thank goodness for quick reflexes since my kids were napping, but... wow.

How hard this must have been to write. The routes chosen, the strength of friendship, love. Heartbreakingly good... I would recommend this to anyone who breathes... has a soul. Except maybe my children; they're not quite ready for that. ;)  Seriously... read it. If you regret it you are dead inside. Okay, maybe not. But I really don't think you'll regret it. If you do, my apologies for steering you down the wrong path of reading happiness. 

If you've read it, or even if not, I'd love your feedback. :)

And I think I did it. I'm going to have Malissa read this first, but I *may* have done this without spoilers. We'll see. Note: Malissa says I'm good to go! lol  :)




Smiles,
B