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hannahbailey's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
TW: war, torture, injury detail, gore, death, murder, grief, violence, sexual harassment, confinement, suicide, gun violence
I read this years ago (when I was still in school maybe?) and loved it. When I saw it in a charity shop last year, I couldn't resist picking it up and finally owning a copy.
There's always a risk when revisiting a book many years later that it won't be as good as you remember. Code Name Verity was even better this time around. Whilst I recognised on my first read how good the writing was, I got to really appreciate the craft this time. It's SO convincing with its compelling characters, narrative structure and historically accurate dialogue that I already want to dive back in.
I cannot believe this is YA. I feel like the genre has changed so much since this was published in 2012 I'm not sure it would be categorised the same. It's got graphic depictions of violence and torture, as well as alluding to many other atrocities that happened in occupied France. Despite that though, it's actually the maturity of the characters and the level of detail that helps it to read like adult fiction. Obviously these things can and are present in a lot of YA anyway, but there's a vibe to this book that lends itself to older readers too. That said, I loved it as a teenager so what do I know about marketing books to the right audience? Given that I loved it at two different ages and life stages, it's clear this book is universal in its readability (at least to me).
How stunning to produce a piece of historical fiction that feels so real. Reluctant to read the others in the series in case this is the best one!
I read this years ago (when I was still in school maybe?) and loved it. When I saw it in a charity shop last year, I couldn't resist picking it up and finally owning a copy.
There's always a risk when revisiting a book many years later that it won't be as good as you remember. Code Name Verity was even better this time around. Whilst I recognised on my first read how good the writing was, I got to really appreciate the craft this time. It's SO convincing with its compelling characters, narrative structure and historically accurate dialogue that I already want to dive back in.
I cannot believe this is YA. I feel like the genre has changed so much since this was published in 2012 I'm not sure it would be categorised the same. It's got graphic depictions of violence and torture, as well as alluding to many other atrocities that happened in occupied France. Despite that though, it's actually the maturity of the characters and the level of detail that helps it to read like adult fiction. Obviously these things can and are present in a lot of YA anyway, but there's a vibe to this book that lends itself to older readers too. That said, I loved it as a teenager so what do I know about marketing books to the right audience? Given that I loved it at two different ages and life stages, it's clear this book is universal in its readability (at least to me).
How stunning to produce a piece of historical fiction that feels so real. Reluctant to read the others in the series in case this is the best one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Death, Blood, Grief, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Torture, Misogyny, Gun violence, Genocide, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Murder, Hate crime, and Gore
dabutkus's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Emotional abuse, War, Death, and Physical abuse
welkinvault's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I have to question what makes a book YA? I did not think this painful, gruesome but glorious book was in any way YA. It is definitely not for the faint of heart. It starts off simply enough with British plucky young women in early WW2, but told in a memoir in tortuous circumstances. There are wheels within wheels in this novel. I saw one of the twists, but not the others. Powerful novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Gun violence
Moderate: Gore, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Blood, Forced institutionalization, and Violence
molly_rose's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Torture
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: War
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