Review of Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Rating: Four Heartbreaking Stars out of Five

I put this book down so many times, unsure if I would ever finish it. Frankly, while I am quite fond of historical fiction, many of the things Queenie wrote about was either too dull, too heartbreaking, or too horrifying. Usually it was the former, which was why even though it took me almost a month to get through this book, it only took me one day (today) to read the last half. But I mostly procrastinated.

Which is why I urge you, if you are considering reading this book, please stick around to at least page 215! That's asking a lot but once you're there, it is completely worth it! If you at least get to Maddie's point of view, it automatically gets better. Things starting making sense. Things start making sense in the most gut-wrenching and sob-inducing way possible.

Note: I will be referring to the main protagonist as Queenie, though her other main names include Verity and Julie.

This novel gets really confusing at points, especially with the switches from first person to third person, and the many different names and people that are mentioned. Although if you can persevere through all that, underneath is quite an elegant and moving story. The friendship between Maddie and Queenie is astonishingly beautiful, and I believe that this was one of the best books that focused purely on the intense, platonic love between the two. I was rooting for both characters to make it out of this novel alive, and I grew so close to Maddie in just the first portion of the novel, simply through Queenie's words and actions. Queenie was truly an amazing character, and if I had ever been in anything like the situation she was in, I wouldn't have been even a quarter as brave as she was.

Maddie was an equally strong character, and the firm way she deals with everything (especially all the discrimination because she was a female pilot, something uncommon at the time) was very admirable. Both friends were so strong and so caring, despite their horrible and unforgiving circumstances. Everything felt so genuine, especially all the codes and locations Queenie gave out. It was so real that at time, it became confusing. This truly doesn't even feel anything like a YA novel, and the plot twists really had my head spinning. Wein was so good at crafting plot twists that not only excited me, but even simultaneously horrified me.

It was quite difficult to get through this novel. It was painful, and I probably will never read it again because of that. And once I realized just how cunning Queenie was, it hurt even more. Code Name Verity was just such a strong and memorable novel, and I don't know any other way to describe it.