Book Review: Cody Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: February 6, 2012
Publisher: Egmont Press
452 Pages

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

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Reivew:

I honestly don't know why I didn't like this book, but I didn't and that bums me out.

Everyone RAVES about Code Name Verity. I was really looking forward to it. I absolutely love the cover, so that got me even more excited. Though for some reason, when I started it, I thought it was a contemporary story about wrestlers. WHAT. I know, I know. I never paid attention to the blurb. Honestly, the things I come up with… So that was a great shock for me. When I reread the summary, I was still super interested. It's really like nothing I've ever read before. I don't read a lot of historical/war books. Not that I'm not intrigued by it, but because I like angsty romance. That's my niche. Reading this brought me way out of my comfort zone.

I liked the main character. She was smart and had a wicked tongue. I think my trouble was in the fact that I knew what was coming and maybe a little bit because there was no romance. I feel so blasphemous saying that… But many stories seem utterly dull without it. This was one of those stories in my opinion. It just needed… something. I can't tell you what, that's why I'm not an author, but for me it was lacking.

There is a part where I cried. It's hard not to cry. There were times where I laughed as well. Ms. Wein writes emotion very well. I felt the emotions of the characters in the pit of my stomach. The writing really was what drove this story. So where did this go wrong? I'll admit that a part of me believes it is because of the technicalities in the story. Things are described that I couldn't understand. My knowledge of airplanes, warfare and foreign countries is sorely lacking. That's most likely why I had the most trouble, but I really don't know. If you can figure it out, please tell me.

I was reminded of my grandfather a lot as I read. I grew up on his war stories and he always talked about his respect for women who served for the good of our world. I may buy him a copy because I know he would enjoy it, even though he isn't a fan of fiction. My grandpa and other fans of historical war novels will love this. I'm bummed that I wasn't blown away.

I skimmed the last 40%. Getting into Code Name Verity was impossible for me. So many people loved it. I'm one of the very few that didn't. And many people to come will love it. Elizabeth Wein had a wonderful idea, but it just didn't come through for me.

I received and e-copy of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley for my honest opinion and review.