Book Review: Code Name Verity

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An interesting book. It had a bit of a slow start--which seems strange to say, given that it begins with torture in a Gestapo prison--and it moves somewhat at a deliberate pace. But I found myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading it, and when I finished it, I dreamed about it all night. Essentially it's the story told by a Scottish female special operations agent (WWII) to her German captors. She is collaborating with them, and it isn't until sometime later that you begin to realize exactly what is going on. Clever and twisty, with a lot of great detail on the time period. It forces the reader to ask some hard questions, like: how well would I stand up to this kind of torture? Who would I be if I were captured by the enemy? Would I resist or give in?

Strangely, I did not find myself deeply, emotionally connected to the characters, and I'm not certain why, because the book is about friendships and commitment, courage and the lack of it, and it should have slayed me. But it didn't, which is why I've given it a four. Still, a really really good read, and recommended.



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