I love to be pleasantly surprised by a book! I must admit, I did not have very high expectations for Code Name Verity. It's published by Disney Hyperion Books, an imprint I (incorrectly) thought had more to do with movie adaptations, teen star books, or some crummy little books in a series. I also knew that the primary audience to whom they're marketing the book was teen girls, a demographic to which I decidedly do not belong. But Elizabeth Wein does such a wonderful job telling this story, with heroic female characters, historical authenticity, and a plot that takes you in, breaks your heart, and inspires, that I have to give Code Name Verity a big thumbs up.Verity, code name for a young lady from an aristocratic Scottish family, and Maddie, a working-class English girl, meet during World War 2, becoming best friends. Maddie is a civilian pilot, Verity, a spy. On a mission to deliver Verity to France for some clandestine activities, they crash. Verity is eventually captured, while Maddie is taken in by some members of the French Resistance. In prison, Verity agrees to divulge information to her Nazi captors. Her written account of her spy activities make up the bulk of the book. Maddie's flight journal, the remainder.
Taking what could have been a predictable, maudlin, run-of-the-mill story, Wein captures the times, the setting, and the feelings and attitudes of the ladies, in their 20s but wise and experienced beyond their years. Although the story is fiction, it is one of those historical novels that very well could have happened, and if it did, it would have been exactly as Wein tells it. She put a ton of effort into making the story as authentic as possible, down to every historical, geographic, and aviation-related detail. It doesn't scream at you as you read, but once I finished, reflecting on the historicity, I was amazed.
I'm not saying that I will start reading all the YA girls' fiction published by Disney. But I will be a bit more open-minded about the genre now. Check out Code Name Verity. It's a good read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for the complimentary electronic review copy!
