Book Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

This is a World War II book, set in a period that doesn't seem to run out of

 material for stories that touch us in a deep way.  Tough, smart women are the heroes of this novel, young women using their considerable talents and skills to serve their country in a time of war. I felt pulled into this story because I liked these characters so much that I felt empowered just reading about them.  Maddie is a skilled pilot and mechanic, not the most socially adept, but ethical and loyal. Queenie is smooth and cultured and speaks German fluently and so she is quickly chosen to work in intelligence.  These two young women are drawn to each other and become loyal friends. As Queenie says, they make a "sensational team".  The first half of the book is narrated by Queenie and the second half by Maddie. We find out at the beginning that Queenie has been captured by the Germans in France and is narrating her story to her captors.  As her story unfolds, we find out more and more about how she came to be captured.  We also learn of the strength of her friendship with Maddie.  If you are looking for romance, you won't find it in this book.  Instead, it's a story of friendship and loyalty between powerful women. Read Code Name Verity and you'll feel inspired to tackle challenges in your life.

Exploring Historical Fiction

On an island called Guernsey off the coast of the British Isles, a budding author makes contact with a strange group of people: members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  She writes them a letter and discovers through their correspondence that they are just as unique as their name.  She then unearths an amazing story about the islanders' survival through Nazi occupation and the role of the small island in one of history's most gruesome wars.

Set during and after World War II, the book is written entirely by letters and diary entries.  This allows the reader to feel a strong connection with each of the characters and get insights into their emotions throughout the book.  The author does an excellent job of incorporating history into the gripping tale of survival while still maintaining an easy-to-read style.

Why read this book?

Historical fiction is a genre that usually gets overlooked by the average teenager.  It's seen as boring, dull, or "the stuff we read in english class."  However, the world of history holds so many uncharted mysteries that are just waiting to be discovered.  What better way to travel than through reading a book?  How was it to stand on a field overlooking the Battle of Gettysburg?  What was Cleopatra thinking in her very last moments alive?  Did Napoleon regret his decision to invade Russia?  We can instantly step onto a pirate ship or walk around in Shakespeare's boots for the day without ever leaving the comfort of our homes.  All of this history and more is at our fingertips, just waiting to be dug up and explored.

~Sgt. Pepper

The Prince of Mist

After the Carver family moves from the city to a coastal area they encounter some mysterious happenings at their new home. There are strange stones, a graveyard and a creepy clown.  An old sunken ship off shore mysteriously reappears. An old man tells Max and Alicia an old story of revenge and how he sees life in three stages.  The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon takes place during wartime and starts out a little slow but soon builds up to be more frightening than I anticipated and I wanted to get to the end quickly.   I listened to the downloaded audio version from the library catalog and it had some wonderful sound effects such as crashing storms and ghostly sounds.  This added to the eerie and creepy factor of the book.  Instead of listening to the final chapters I read them and enjoyed the ending.