Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“But I have told the truth. Isn't that ironic? They sent me because I am so good at telling lies. But I have told the truth.”

Two girls will discover the courage to fight for themselves and their country during WWII: one, a young English woman who loves nothing more than that indescribable feeling of flying an airplane high above the world; the other a Scottish gal who works as a wireless operator but has many talents hidden up her sleeves despite her current prisoner of war status. While shelved as a young adult novel, Code Name Verity should not be picked up with intentions of “light reading.” The depth and complexity of the plot and slow-timed release of secrets creates a spider web, encouraging readers to unravel the intricately tangled threads. Told in diary-like entries in a first person viewpoint, the story strives to highlight the hopes, wants, and fears of young people living in a time of constant chaos and uncertainty while showcasing the undeniable love of a best friend. 

As a work of historical fiction, author Elizabeth Wein gives remarkable descriptions of what life may have been like for a young woman living and working next to Nazi-occupied France. The story is really meant to focus a lens into the lives and emotions of those on the warfront in Europe and less so a specific event in history, such as Ruta Sepetys’ Salt to the Sea, which tells the story of the refugees surrounding the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff. 

These two girls may be separated at times but are ultimately inseparable in all the ways that matter in a deeply founded human relationship. Witty, passionate, and heartbreaking, it leaves readers wishing they could be a part of this everlasting friendship.