Code Name Verity (Elizabeth Wein)

****

         Verity is living every spy's worst nightmare.  She's been captured by the Nazis in France before completing her mission, and is now facing torture and a terrible death at their hands.  But first, she has struck up a bargain to give away any information she knows in exchange for a little more time.  Not that she claims to know very much.  Meanwhile, greater forces are in action.  There is a war on, and there are plans that must be fulfilled with or without Verity's help.  Friends are trying to find a way to save the mission that she failed to complete, and possibly a way to save Verity herself.

         This was a really powerful book.  It got a fair amount of hype in the book world, which I would say it deserves.  After reading the first fifty pages or so, I was thoroughly invested in the characters.  Maddie and Verity were well-developed both in Verity's prison confession and the rest of Wein's story.  The book was divided up in a way that added to the excitement and made me feel even more affection and pride for the characters (but I can't properly explain that without ruining the story).  I was on the edge of my seat hoping that things would work out well for the two best friends, even though it was pretty clear that wasn't going to happen.  The ending did turn out to be very sad, but it still managed to be satisfying in its own way.  This is by no means a light read, but it is  definitely worth picking up.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: February 15, 2013