Book Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication date: May 2012
Pages: 352
Source: e-book from NetGalley
For: Review

When a British spy is shot down over Germany in the midst of World War II, she is interrogated and tortured. Her written confession reveals the beautiful story of her friendship with a pilot, Maddie. Her tale is skillfully woven into the threads of her guilt and the details of her work as a spy.

Things I Liked:
I'm probably the last person in the YA book blogging world to read this book, but I'm so glad I did.  I completely fell for Queenie and Maddie and their story.  I love how the historical details feel spot on and how beautifully the story is crafted to make you think one way and then throw that out the window later on.  I can't exactly put my finger on what makes this such a great story, because it's more than writing and characters.  I think it's that when I finished, I couldn't stop thinking about it.  I kept wondering about the charaters and putting myself in their shoes and thinking about what happened.  I know lots of people when they finish a good book say they want to immediately start it all over again.  I have almost never felt that way, but I did for this book.  I wanted to read it with new eyes, with the understanding the ending gave me.  This is a book with staying power and I really hope it gets some Printz recognition.  Wish I could say important Things about it, but I don't think I have that ability.

Things I Didn't Like:
It felt slow at first.  The first part, I wondered why everyone thought the story was so fabulous.  It was interesting and Queenie had such personality that I was invested, but it didn't feel that amazing.  It's all the parts put together that make this book what it is.  Just read it already, if you haven't.

Read-alikes:
For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy by Kimberly Brubacker Bradley
Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
scattered here and there, one f-bomb

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
there is a war and there is torture

Overall rating: ***** 

Have you read this?  What did you think?  If not, why not?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage