Well worth your time. I wish I had something really original to add to the reviews of Code Name Verity that would compel people to read this really original and enthralling book immediately, but the best I can do is wholeheartedly concur with the majority.
Yes, this book does have a bit of a slow start, but stick with it and you will be amply rewarded with a terrific reading experience. Like others, I also can't recount anything beyond bare bone details of the plot without giving away spoilers, which in this case really would spoil your terrific reading experience.
One of the girls let's call her The Spy is captured, and through her written confession of everything she knows about the British War Effort, she tells the story of her friendship with Maddie, The Pilot.
That is simple enough, but Code Name Verity is so much more. Wein's plotting ability is unsurpassed, but she combines this with amazingly beautiful writing. There is a scene where one of the narrators is describing the green flash read the book and you'll understand! Wein also manages to create vivid characters that I really cared about. Her extraordinary ability to write characters extends to knowing how to write the Nazi antagonists so they are not overdrawn caricatures.
Since this is historical fiction, I was convinced that The Pilot and The Spy were based on real people. Wein does an author's debriefing at the end of the book that further explains and adds to the story. There are several small, possibly implausible plot points which may require the reader to suspend belief a bit, but the rest of the book is so good that any suspension of belief you have to do is easy and worthwhile. I have never before finished a book and immediately started a reread, but I've been compelled to with this book.
My first read was as an audiobook, but I've just purchased the Kindle version and will be reading Code Name Verity a second time this afternoon. I know I'll be rewarded both intellectually and emotionally, and I hope other readers will reward themselves by reading this excellent book.
This book was a step out of my comfort zone, not something I would have picked up on my own. Pay attention during this book, there are so many small details you will miss that come back later if you don't listen. I think if I were to listen to it again I would find so many things I missed the first time around.
My husband did not expect to like this book, nor did I to be honest, but we were both wrong. The book was only rated by 16 people when I picked it up, so while the reviews were very good I still had my reservations. It held both our attentions and the little details that were part of the parallel story were like hidden Easter eggs in the book to be found.
As a side note: You may need tissues. What made the experience of listening to Code Name Verity the most enjoyable? The narrators of this story are pure magic. They brought the characters to life with humor and emotional that brought me into the story and wouldn't let me go.
But the plot was not what I was expecting. It changed and developed and shocked me. I love that. What did you like best about this story? It requires careful listening because there are a lot of important details. A few times I missed things that came up later and that frustrated me. But there is so much detail and color and pain and life in here.
I love love loved when the story turned and I realized I had no idea what was going on and now I do and it's amazing! Which character — as performed by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell — was your favorite? Oh choosing between them is like saying "What do you like best about chocolate ice-cream? That it's chocolate or that it's ice cream? They go together. Without one you can't understand the other. Literally Verity's account would be confusing and misunderstood without Maddie's, and Maddie wouldn't even matter if Verity's story didn't explain their incredible friendship.
They are a team to be taken as a whole. Their characters are written very differently and they own their parts completely. Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I both laughed and cried. I gasped. I sighed. I ached. When a writer can make you feel those things, they own you. And Wein completely owns me forever. Take your time with this. And don't multitask. I did, and I missed so many things. The twists lack punch it you're not paying attention. I learned my lesson about a third of the way through but I wish I had give this the proper focus it deserves. It's beautifully written and wonderfully performed.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why? Oh yes, I have done and will. I will also recommend they try and get the audio version, as I think the narrators performance elevated the book to a higher level, and I did wonder if I would think it was as exceptional if I had just read it the traditional way.
Why would I recommend it? Well because it's better than most books. It doesn't fall into the good while you are reading it, but forgettable category or an entertaining enough diversion, it is simply a great book. And great books are few and far between. The two girls; their differences, their bravery and their love for each other. They were splendid. Which character — as performed by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell — was your favourite? I suppose I liked Julie best, but didn't get to know her very well under the circumstances.
Maddie was lovely though, and heartbreaking and warm and brave. Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? And terribly sad I envy people who haven't read this as they get the chance to experience it for the first time. A Carnegie medal short listed book. This was a story that kept me intrigued from start to finish with characters that I immediately warmed to. The two narrators added to the story. Thank heavens this wasn't longer as I listened to it in one go and stayed up very late!
A beautifully written story of friendship at a time of adversity. The actual story is gripping, confusing and inspiring. One of those books which is a novel, but has been based on events if not individuals. Maddie and Queenie are enchanting characters who you only wish you could have met. I remember many years ago speaking to a lady who had been in the S. Quiet people who did an incredibly dangerous job, and whose main concern was that they put others at risk. This version is beautifully told with two voices to mark the divide.
Well worth a listen. If you could sum up Code Name Verity in three words, what would they be? Absorbing, challenging, different. What other book might you compare Code Name Verity to, and why? Which scene did you most enjoy? That would give the plot away, but I can say, when the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Both - but mostly cry as it's quite a harrowing story. The narrator was fantastic - really captured the different characters extremely well.
It's very unusual to have a story with so many female characters that doesn't lose it's way having them focus of men - none of that here. The writer captures their characters in a rounded way and concentrates on the events that move the plot forward.
Amazing book - one of those you think about when it's finished. I defy anyone to not shed a tear at the end. The book is full of humour, emotion and historical interest.
A truly heart warming read. This is one of the most gripping audiobooks I've listened to so far. I'd look forward to my walk to and from work, just to find out what happens. Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting? If I had the time I could easily have spent hours just listening to this book. It is just a great but plausible story that encapsulates an era of great risk, terror, heart break and courage but also of friendship, love and trust.
There are lots of twists in this story and I loved the detail that went into it. I also enjoyed how it was written in two accounts and how all the threads come together in the end. A beautiful story of friendship and a harrowing account of war. Absorbing, "page-turner", Intrigue. Oh yes! I just could not stop listening! Initially I couldnt see where it was going.
Then the intrigue got me and I just could not stop listening! I loved it. I certainly did not see the twist coming and when they started, they continued until the end of the book. Fantastic book! I will definitely be seeking more from this author and more from the readers.
The performances were superb! I listened to the audiobook and have to say that it was very well read, with two readers doing the separate sections there are two narratives, each written by one of the two main characters. It was therefore a very enjoyable listen, and also a rather quick one. The story itself is very engaging. It is aimed at YA readers, but I would say that it no less a novel for adults. It is a historical novel which takes place during the second World War.
The novel details the friendship of two young women, one of them a spy and the other a pilot. During a mission to France things go wrong and the spy almost immediately gets apprehended by the Germans. The first half of the novel is her "confession", written out for her interrogator in exchange for more time alive. However, things are not all what they seem here There are some fairly graphic descriptions of the methods of torture used by the Gestapo, and other scenes that are similarly shocking.
The narrative is rather fast paced and despite the overall horror of the situation that Verity has found herself in, there are moments of humour since she is able - despite her suffering - to crack jokes about her interrogators and herself. There are numerous references to literature, such as Kim by Rudyard Kipling and to the poetry of Robert Burns.
Verity is a well read young woman, in addition to her education in a Swiss private school. What I also found interesting about this character is her native background; she is a Scottish aristocrat and a descendant of Mary Queen of Scots and William Wallace or so she claims - it is implied that perhaps we are not meant to take this at face value.
Her Scottish roots are important to the story in some ways, and her insistence on being Scottish, not English, is repeated several times in the narrative.
One thing that bothered me, though, is the fact that Verity states that Wallace's execution consisted of him being torn apart by four horses. This is grossly inaccurate, since Wallace was hanged, drawn and quartered horses were no part of it, except probably to draw the wooden hurdle that Wallace was strapped to and in which he was dragged to the place of execution. As a Scotswoman who is both fiercely patriotic and very much aware of Scotland's troubled and dramatic history, Verity would not make this mistake in reality.
All in all, this is an enjoyable and well written novel, and the story-line is in most parts a convincing one. There are, however, some plot developments for which this reader at least really had to consciously suspend disbelief in order to be able to enjoy the story to the full. Absolutely loved this! It is possibly my favorite books I've read to date. Can't wait to listen to the next in the series!
You never quite knew where the plot was heading and that was the wonderful thing about the book. I could not bring myself to pause the story and didn't want it to end. Highly recommended if you like history and mystery. I found this book very irritating,and,boring. My own fault as I dislike fiction at the best of times,and,thought this book was a documentary.
Even so,the story was annoying,flipping from place to place with no consistancy in the story line. Eventually I gave up. Good story and the story telling was amazing. The narrator was fantastic and added so much depth to the characters.
Morven's narration is excellent. I heard from others how amazing this book was, so I wanted to try it myself. To be fair, others had read a paperback copy- not an audio version. I found it too hard with all the flashbacks to keep track of where I was up to in the story. Multiple characters and differing viewpoints would have been interesting if done well, but the narration was not done well enough to hold my interest. Really well performed, and I could not predict the story as it progressed.
Maddie was often disapointing though: women in male dominated work just don't allow ourselves to be the weakest link, such as Maddie purports to be. This was a great story. An interesting point of view. I felt that the characters could have been stronger. But they were both brave and shows a different perspective on the female partnership and friendship.
Story had some twists. Difficult to put down. So many people in my internet circles enthused about it that when I was wondering what to listen to next, the title popped out of my wish list. Although it is categorised as a young adult book, it can and will by enjoyed by everyone. I think the audio only adds to the tension and suspense that is rife in the book.
Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell are to be congratulated for making a great book into an excellent listening performance. Their voices carry the desperation and urgency of this story of two young women during World War II. How can she live with herself? Maddie is a pilot. Queenie is reluctant to give details away, but little by little we learn more about her and how she ended up in France.
Code Name Verity is a book that deserves to be well known. Just when you think the poor girl might be due a break, something else comes out of nowhere. I felt gutted at the turn of events which led to Maddie being front and centre.
It felt like I had lost a friend. Definitely one to read or listen to sooner or later. A well written book that works well as an audio book. Recommended to those new to reading books in the war genre. Add to Cart failed. Please try again later. Add to Wish List failed. Remove from wishlist failed. Adding to library failed. Please try again. Follow podcast failed. Unfollow podcast failed. Stream or download thousands of included titles. Narrated by: Morven Christie,Lucy Gaskell.
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Pay using card ending in. Taxes where applicable. Listeners also enjoyed Publisher's Summary Code Name Verity is a compelling, emotionally rich story with universal themes of friendship and loyalty, heroism and bravery. Historical Fiction. Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
Amazon Reviews. Sort by:. Most Helpful Most Recent. Filter by:. All stars 5 star only 4 star only 3 star only 2 star only 1 star only. HDJ Suzn F Emily Petersen This book was terrible This book was absolutely terrible. Mel Diane Colson Elusive truth What did you love best about Code Name Verity?
I believed Code Name Verity did an exceptional work of this. Maddie had a flair for fixing things and also flying, and also yet, she had actual anxieties as well as instabilities, and also cried after every harrowing occasion.
She felt so real. As the child of a war expert, I know very first hand that those who are undergoing, or that have been with heck are some of one of the most psychological people I recognize. Splits as well as compassion are a sign of stamina and also courage; not weakness. Prior to choosing this book, I testified family and friends that I would never check out one more WW2 publication once again. This novel, nonetheless, was so different that it promptly captured me. They become true love.
I check out nothing sex-related into their friendship, as well as it is tough to explained such a relationship unless you have experienced it. I consider myself among the lucky couple of who have. The times they stay in predetermine their conference, as well as their future.
But this is truly a tale of love, and what we would certainly do for one another. Also the most challenging point possible. Review it to find out. All 3 of these books came extremely advised, with rave evaluations.
All were prize-winning books — the Doerr publication even won a Pulitzer. All of them are engaging and maintained me glued to the page. Skip to content AudioBooks.
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