Code Name Verity (spoilers ahead!)

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I haven't seen a thread on this book yet... just finished it.  

 

Did you read it?  Did you like it?  

 

I really enjoyed it.  A very satisfying read.  I love a good stand-alone novel, but they are becoming harder to come by!  

 

I thought the research and detail of the plot was genius.  The twists and turns of the storyline were just right- intriguing, plausible, inspiring, but not over-done to up the page count or force a sequel.  Just a good, tight plot.  

 

The Julie/Maddie friendship was so believable and beautiful and so lacking in any cattiness or ugliness.  So refreshing.

 

The only thing I thought was "badly done" (and that's too strong of a way to say it) was

 

SPOILER COMING

 

the scene of Julie's death.  I cannot believe the resistance did not simply shoot the three gestapo, even at the risk of losing a few more prisoners in the process.  They were going off to die anyway, might as well toss the dice and get as many out as possible.  Instead they sat around while another guard went back for reinforcement!  What???  The author spent so much time making the entire plot plausible, but this one scene just isn't.  I "like" the way it played out between Maddie and Julie there, but the set-up was not convincing to me.  If Paul had been shot and Maddie to frozen to react, if Paul's gun had jammed, if there had been a truck of reinforcements already present, then I could have believed the scene.  But the way it was written, no.  

 

But I'm being nit-picky about a book that I otherwise thoroughly enjoyed.  

[Pam in CT]

I thought it was structurally brilliant -- the we as audience only slowly come to realize what is going on through the unreliable narration -- the verity through the code, as it were.  I had minor quibbles with the ending as well but under the circumstances, and given the intended YA audience, I thought it drew a reasonable line between more or less plausible without crossing over into to wretched for its intended age.

 

There's a sequel (well, not exactly a sequel, but it carries over some of the characters), Rose Under Fire, which is also very good although IMO a little heavier/harder for YA age kids.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I thought it was structurally brilliant -- the we as audience only slowly come to realize what is going on through the unreliable narration -- the verity through the code, as it were.  I had minor quibbles with the ending as well but under the circumstances, and given the intended YA audience, I thought it drew a reasonable line between more or less plausible without crossing over into to wretched for its intended age.

 

There's a sequel (well, not exactly a sequel, but it carries over some of the characters), Rose Under Fire, which is also very good although IMO a little heavier/harder for YA age kids.

 

I actually get irritated with the YA label for this book.  This is a brilliant novel, for anyone old enough to deal with WWII stuff.  The YA label somehow cheapens it, IMO.  Maybe the author didn't go into gruesome detail because she felt it was gratuitous to the plot, and not because the book needed to be marketed to YAs, you know what I mean?  

 

I would not change the Maddie-Julie ending in any major way.  This was the perfect, tragic ending for the story.  I just needed a little more explanation on why the resistance had no other option right at that moment, in order to make Maddie's choice the only "right choice".

 

Please spoil it so I don't have to read it right away.  Are Maddie and Jamie together in the second book?   

[vonfirmath]

I thought it was structurally brilliant -- the we as audience only slowly come to realize what is going on through the unreliable narration -- the verity through the code, as it were.  I had minor quibbles with the ending as well but under the circumstances, and given the intended YA audience, I thought it drew a reasonable line between more or less plausible without crossing over into to wretched for its intended age.

 

There's a sequel (well, not exactly a sequel, but it carries over some of the characters), Rose Under Fire, which is also very good although IMO a little heavier/harder for YA age kids.

 

Rose under Fire was on SYNC Audiobooks last summer (paired up with a book by Miep talking about hiding Anne) and I LOVED it. Recommended it to my teenaged niece and she asked for this book for Christmas. So I bought it too (And read it)  I really enjoyed both books.  I did not notice the part of the ending that bothered you. Would have to reread.

[Pink and Green Mom]

I read it and I loved it.  I also really enjoyed Rose Under Fire.  I usually cannot stand YA books (or books labeled as YA) but this was an exception.

[Jane Elliot]

OP, you describe my thoughts and feelings about the book perfectly. I did love it, but I wondered the same things about that scene. I'm afraid a large part of me just wants Disney endings. I think I never grew up or something. If the scene had been written differently, it could have been more plausible with a happier ending.

 

BTW, I listened to it on audio (mostly -- with all my audiobooks, I go back and forth between written and audio.) The narration for this one was amazing. It's a book that lives with you a long time after reading it.

[melbotoast]

I also got it as an audiobook froom Sync and loved it. The narrators were great. I haven't listened to the other one yet.

[alisoncooks]

I enjoyed it but -- whew! -- ugly cry at the ending.

 

I also really liked Rose Under Fire, though it's a very different book (IMO).