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Code Name Verity
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March 2015 Book of the Month: Code Name Verity
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This book is such a wild ride. Just like Maddie, you're left guessing and the ending is amazing! I love how this book shows the strength of women and creates women that are relatable, realistic, and not cliches. I hope everyone enjoys it!
Just purchased the ebook - looking forward to reading this one! (and loving all these awesome challenges...it feels good to be reading so frequently again!)
I'm really not looking forward to this. I have a real aversion to war time fiction after been force fed a diet of it all through school. I mean I live in one of the oldest countries in the world but apparently the only points In our history worth discussing are the world wars. I trust you guys though so I'll give it a go........
There's a challenge too Bree. A book published in March 2013.I've stumbled at the first hurdle already with this book. I can't seem to get a grip with the writing style. This girl seems to be in quite a dangerous position but she's very blase about it all. 'Oh yeah I had a steel rod tied to my back, yeah I was dunked in freezing cold water'. It takes the realism out of it so I'm finding it very clunky to read.
I'm going to give it another try at lunch time, then bail out and read the March challenge book I think.
*waves white flag* I give up!It'll be interesting to see what everyone thinks of this one. I really struggled from Page 1.
Possibly as I'm in the same boat as Fay, I've had so many war books pushed at me during school that they really need to make an impression to stick (Like Maus, awesome awesome book).
I must say I love Verity's spunk and how she constantly is a thorn in her guards' side.
So I'm a couple of chapters in and completely get what you were saying on your status @Jennifer about the style etc. I don't mind the style/her voice in and of itself and agree that she has spunk (I'd be friends with her) but the idea that she is writing this and presenting it to the guard is ludicrous. Does anyone know anything about the book? Is it meant to be taken as a tongue in cheek thing like Bridget Jones' prison time or is it meant to be taken as a serious account? Because it would affect what I think of it..........
I think it's supposed to be serious Fay.After abandoning it I read a few of the reviews and it does seems to have a 'proper' story line to it.
I just found it really hard to get my head round the seriousness of the scenes compared to her dismissing things to easily.
I would probably find it a bit easier to read if I saw it as more of a humour book.
I was thinking about this discussion as I was reading last night. I think she's using her spunk/humor/facetiousness as a defense mechanism. Thinking of it this way makes it easier to get through for me - I did find it a little odd how flippant she was being, but thinking about her surroundings - being bound to a chair, bargaining for her clothing, being forced to watch the "interrogation" of other prisoners - I think I'd either pretend to be dead or just maybe I'd see just how mouthy I could get away with being, if I could convince them I knew something of value.I dunno...just my thoughts...
ETA - also, don't google to read reviews because you'll come across one that will EFFING SPOIL THE WHOLE THING WITHOUT WARNING. Now I understand why it is written the way it is...it makes sense now. And I'm not sure I'm going to like finding out WHY it's that way.
So I continued reading it and found it OK. There is a reason it's written like it is but is not a plausible reason and in the authors notes at the back of my copy the author explains this would never have happened as there was no way a female pilot was getting near a plane flying to France, it's not meant to be "historic" fiction, just a good story. Wish the notes had been at the front so I could have stopped thinking "as if" and just enjoyed the story. It's well written and tightly plotted and I can see merit in it but not a topic that interested me so 2 stars from me.
That ending....I did not see that coming!!!
Finished the other day...here's my review (pretty much spoiler free) if you're interested. Http://www.thepeachmartini.com/?p=734
@kim read your post, love your style :-)
I loved it, but I got caught up in loving the characters for their bravery, wit and for the bit of weirdness they have, making jokes, etc. I totally read it as a defense mechanism thing for Julie, like that was the only thing she had left to hang on to in that place.
and oh, the ending. I'm still not over it.
I recommend the audiobook if the writing is frustrating. I never considered the book to be about the focus of the war, but the focus of the women. So its really all about your perspective going into it. I also just wanted to say that I think it's strange, Fay, that you think the only focus on your "oldest country" is the world wars. I think that's an incredibly narrow view of what is popularized. From a historical perspective, the wars are some of the most tangible history that is tragic and shows heroics comparable to some of what we need to be inspiring in our current generations (with a world constantly on the verge of more war). Integrity and standing up for what is right are the focus of most of the stories/films/shows. It's the age of media consumption starting with the first world war where books and newspapers and newsreels started to allow people to access the what was going on. The spin factors. It's tantamount to the mass consumption we have right now, with authors writing books from the time and people's obsession with not wanting to repeat the horrors of the past.
Just because right now there are some War Time shows/movies/books trending, doesn't mean that's all that anyone focuses on. You should feel proud that your country and the people who persevere in it are so embraced by the world for the good, the bad, and the ugly, as well as the past, and the present.
It's difficult, though, to find something enjoyable, when the deck is so stacked against it and there's a subconscious (or maybe conscious) desire to dislike whatever it is. But within the group, you don't have to read everything that is offered and I know, from experience, there are going to be books you don't want to read. It's kind of part of a "club" atmosphere of this level of diversity within it's participants. I've had numerous months where I didn't read the book selections, because I didn't like what was chosen by the group and that's alright, because I read other books from the group's bookshelf or I read other books I had in my to-read shelf. We all have a diverse taste and I feel this club does the best it can to try to appeal to as many people as possible. Hopefully you'll be able to find more of what you want as the months go on and different challenges or book selections are made.
With that said, I read this with a co-worker to see if it would work for our older students (8th graders) and we were concerned with things regarding Julie's character, but also that it might create a comprehension issue for some of the students. Some of the same issues mentioned here with not understanding Julie. I appreciated the audio narrator of the book, because she read it like she understood Julie and Maddie and it made the book much more enjoyable. The ending was absolutely shocking and just... it is definitely still with me.
I think what Fay means, and tell me if I'm wrong Fay, is that the main focus in school regarding history was the wars. I'm from the UK and I think I'm round about Fay's age and the main of our focus in History and English Lit was World War 1 and 2. I know nothing about the discovery of America for example or our rulers (except Henry 8th). We had to read a lot of war related fiction so it is difficult to find an interest in it now.I'm terribly proud of every person involved in the wars and support the marches and displays seen on TV and donate to the war heros charities. But I don't seek out War related fiction.
Sarah wrote: "I recommend the audiobook if the writing is frustrating. I never considered the book to be about the focus of the war, but the focus of the women. So its really all about your perspective going int..."I normally use the mobile app to post and treat Goodreads a bit like FaceBook. The app limits the amount you can post so you can get a main point across but it leaves little room for validation and I often come across as flippant as I leave a short soundbite. A notification comes up on my phone and I shoot out a sentence so a poster knows that someone has read their post and is interested in what they have to say.
I apologise if it seemed as though I was dismissing the whole period and the whole genre as unimportant. Of course its important. It's vital that books like this and the Book Thief keep been published to bring home the message of the atrocities of war to a new generation. Classics such as the Nina Bawden books and Goodnight Mr Tom may not have as much of an impact today because of their style. I generally assumed that it was a given that this period of history had had a huge impact on us all.
What Jenn wrote is right. I'm sure there are American adults who will never look at something to do with the civil war again but I love to read about it and gain insight from it as it isn't something I know a lot about. I'm lucky enough to still have Grandparents alive who lived through the war. I'm incredibly proud of my Granddad who was MP for the British Army. I'm also incredibly proud of my friend who is an army wife today. Watching her family deal with the realities of war on a daily basis puts me in awe. But like Jenn said I wouldn't seek out wartime fiction in the same way some people avoid romance or horror. They are valid genres and some bring home important messages but if it doesn't appeal to you you wont enjoy it.
I went ahead and read the book anyway to expand my horizons. There are a lot of books people recommend that I think "urgh" about and then adore. I also went ahead so I could have these kind of discussions. I love to hear what you guys thought about something I didn't like or that you didn't like and I did. It really makes me think about the book a lot more and can make me see things that I overlooked. Sometimes I read the comments and think "oh yeah, I missed that" and it makes me look again in a different way. Sometimes I feel persuaded that my POV is wrong and I'll go back and look again and change my mind. I also wanted to read it because it was important to the person who recommended it and the people who voted for it. The group is diverse and I love that about it. If I could I'd read everything every members does so I swap thoughts and ideas.
This time round I got to think about why I dislike war time fiction. Part of it is the over saturation but on reflection some of it could be that its not 'entertaining'. Its often written in an entertaining style but the subject matter is oft times harrowing (particularly true in this books case). The characters might be fictionalized but there are true elements to each story. Its a difficult and emotive subject to process and therefore for myself, reading only for pleasure, it can be an uncomfortable and unpleasurable. Its much easier to read about heroic actions and wars in Westeros where I can firmly separate fiction and reality than it is to read about the hardships that really happened and that you are powerless to change. But then that's why books like this are important. We can't change the past but we have to be prepared to stop it from happening in the future.
I do apologise if I caused anyone any upset or offense, it really wasn't my intention at all and I will think a lot more before quickly shooting out a post.
Fay wrote: "@kim read your post, love your style :-)"Kim wrote: "Finished the other day...here's my review (pretty much spoiler free) if you're interested. Http://www.thepeachmartini.com/?p=734"
Oh, thanks! :)
I totally get your POV and can appreciate where you're coming from. I love that we can all have civilized discussions like this...gives me a serious case of the feels!
Fay wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I recommend the audiobook if the writing is frustrating. I never considered the book to be about the focus of the war, but the focus of the women. So its really all about your perspec..."I actually think this is a really good debate- and I agree a bit with both sides. Even though I live in the US, WWII and the Holocaust are also pushed on us a lot- maybe not as much, but I know I probably read at least 5 books in my public school career on the topic. Don't get me wrong, I also think we should read and learn about the war- but there are countless other wars, rulers, etc. I had never heard of in school. I never really learned about the wars in Japan and Korea and China in the 20th century- I never knew about that until learning about it myself, and what happened there was a lot like the Holocaust. (Super generalization since I don't know a ton). But I see your point, Fay & Jennifer. WWII is heavily focused on, a bit too much, and there's so much more to read.
It's also perfectly understandable for you to want to read more entertaining novels! It can be very depressing to read books like Night or Number the Stars all the time, so I completely understand. I really just think it's a preference- some would rather stay away from WWII novels and memoirs, while others love them. Just like with other genres. Our club is so huge, it's hard to pick a book everyone will love(there have even been some I disliked), so we'll all disagree at some points. I think just with this book, it's a bit touchier since WWII was a real event that affected most of us in at least some small way. For some, that means they want to read more, for some it's too painful. Either is completely understandable, and I'm glad everyone is being respectful about that! Negative feelings are always welcome to a book conversation, as long as comments aren't rude. :) I want you guys to be open how you feel, because I want to be open!
Saying this, I haven't really started Code Name Verity yet, and now I'm VERY interested to read it. Looking at my friends reviews, it seems to be either love it/hate it. We shall see.
I actually find this thread interesting about what was pushed on everyone to read at school -- which I think changes a lot in the US, depending on where you go to school & what types of classes you take. For me, it was a lot of Colonial America era stuff, like The Scarlet Letter and other novels around that sort of time period, even if they weren't American books, like Billy Budd -- I didn't really enjoy any of those. We also read a lot of Civil War era stuff, but it wasn't really about the war as much as other themes, like pre-War slavery for Uncle Tom's Cabin & Roots and a picture of the 'Southern Lifestyle' for Gone With the Wind. I don't think I ever really read much WW2 stuff for school, even though many Holocaust novels were really popular. I may have read Anne Frank's Diary for school in late elementary or early middle school, but I think my high school reading was totally devoid of WW2 literature. I did like some of those books and we did occasionally read some fun things, like Frankenstein & Dracula and Poe's short stories, but gosh a lot of what we had to read was boring! I find myself now rather uninterested in the types of books I had to read for school though, so I totally see your point.
I will say though, that reading the first part, which is Julie's story, wasn't easy. I was definitely unsettled by reading of the treatment she got, even though I don't think anything was particularly graphic since most of the story actually focused on the past.
I generally like historical fiction but I haven't read any WWII fiction books before. I struggled with the first half because it was difficult to read from the perspective of a torture victim. I would read a bit then walk away. The second half was easier to read and things from the first half started to make more sense. I expected a different ending. Yet I am not upset by how it ended. Yes I had a few stray tears but it made sense to end it that way. War stories don't always have happy endings but the strength of the characters are more important. I liked these girls. It felt real the way it all played out. Sad but heroic.
Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.
When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?
I'm excited about this one, and I hope you guys are too! As always, post your thoughts/comments/reviews on the book on here, and discuss! I feel like this will be a good read for those who are fans of Agent Carter, or actual historical spies back in the day.