Elizabeth Wein

The back cover of ‘Code Name Verity’ includes the unsettling recommendation that it made a reader feel like their heart, 'has been torn out and stomped on a million times'. I think that's unnecessarily hyperbolic, but will concede that it’s a powerful and moving book. The story is set in 1943 and revolves around two young women who end up crash landing in occupied France. Actually, the blurb is unusually good at setting the scene without giving away any of the plot, which I am afraid of doing, as this is a story that a clumsy review could easily ruin. Although I found the emotion of the narrative very well done, it was the plot twists that really impressed me. I also loved that it centred on two women, of course, and that they were so vividly characterised. Once you get beyond the first twenty or so pages, I defy anyone to read this novel slowly. The reader is gripped with fear as to what will happen and an atmosphere of dread in Nazi-occupied France looms over events. All-in-all, an excellent WWII thriller with a great characters and a good deal of heart.… (more)