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Elizabeth Wein: Code Name Verity--Code Name Verity Book 3

This post is a book that I've read a couple of times because I read it with my seniors. It's one of my favorites, but I'll get into that more later.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein is about a British spy, code-named Verity who crash-landed in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. She is arrested soon after her landing while attempting to carry out her mission. While in prison, the Gestapo show her pictures of the plane wreck, leading her to believe that her best friend, Maddie Brodatt, the pilot, is dead. Ultimately, Verity begins working with the Gestapo and giving them sets of wireless code which would allow the Gestapo to intercept Allied communications. They also ask her to write her confession: a document with as much information as she knows about Allied plans, bases, and planes. However, knowing that she's going to die no matter what she tells them, Verity takes her time with her tale, instead telling the story of how she met Maddie and how she ended up in France. Will her confession be useful to the Germans?

I absolutely love this book! This is one of my favorites to teach, though it does present some interesting challenges. Some things I loved about this book:

  • I love the way it's written. Part I is Verity's story and Maddie's story is Part II. By the end of part I, you just want to know what's going to happen to Verity after hearing her story. I love the suspense of what's going to happen to Verity and the weight of what she's telling the Germans.
  • I love Verity's point of view and method of storytelling. She's so snarky and funny. I love her personality. While I also love Maddie, I have to say that Verity is my favorite.
  • I love that the ending is nothing that you will expect. By the time you read Maddie's story, you want Verity to make it out, but she doesn't. This book is full of unexpected twists and turns, many of which I didn't predict.
  • This book was incredibly well thought out and planned. There are small hints at the outcome, many of which you might not catch the first time through.
Some things that can make this book difficult:
  • The middle can drag on a bit. You have to remember that once Verity finishes her confession, she's going to get sent to a concentration camp for spies, but it doesn't necessarily make it any easier to get through that middle section.
  • Many students can't stand that Verity is spilling her secrets to the Gestapo. I have to assure my students that they just need to hold on and get to part II. For most, that works, but for others, they still struggle with it.
Overall, I rate this book:
  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • PG-13 for a brief discussion of sexual violence, and actual violence, torture, and execution.

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