Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Title: Code Name Verity

Author: Elizabeth Wein

Publisher: Egmont/ Electric Monkey

Published: Feb 2012

ISBN: 978 14052 58102

Rating 5/5 with merits

The cover on this is reminiscent of the war, complete with grey and red detail which draws your eye.

This is a thorough novel – and in all honesty I found it very plausible.  I felt I was within the book with Maddie and the captive.  It has been very cleverly written.  I didn’t see the plot twists coming, and although I anticipated a death sentence ending, I couldn’t put my finger on what would happen or how.  The brutality of war comes across very clear from all sides – the prisoner’s the Resistance, Maddies and the guards.

I love the fact that this felt so much like the real deal – I felt immersed in history and in the plight of the prisoners, the resistance and the German forces.  I thoroughly enjoyed all the layers to this book and feel it holds great attention to detail.  It took a while to read due to it being so packed with information; making this an in depth read with plenty of information to get your teeth into. 

Maddies account of what happens turns almost everything else on its head, and helps furnish the story further, making me re-evaluate what I had previously read rather than taking it at face value, which was surprising.  The added Author notes at the back along with the bibliography shows you how much research has gone into making the book what it is.  A very worthy read!

Here’s a taster of Code Name Verity:

Book synopsis:

Two young women become unlikely best friends during WWII, until one is captured by the Gestapo. Only in wartime could a stalwart lass from Manchester rub shoulders with a Scottish aristocrat, one a pilot, the other a special operations executive. Yet whenever their paths cross, they complement each other perfectly and before long become devoted to each other. But then a vital mission goes wrong, and one of the friends has to bail out of a faulty plane over France. She is captured by the Gestapo and becomes a prisoner of war. The story begins in "Verity's" own words, as she writes her account for her captors. Truth or lies? Honour or betrayal? Everything they've ever believed in is put to the test...

Source - A copy was received in return for an honest review.