The beloved #1 New York Times bestseller, a “fiendishly plotted” (New York Times) ”heart-in-your mouth adventure” (Washington Post) that “will take wing and soar into your heart” (Laurie Halse Anderson)
October 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 … 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?
A universally acclaimed Michael L. Printz Award Honor book, Code Name Verity is a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other.more
Code Name Verity is historical fiction marketed for the YA audience, but as an adult decades past the YA category, I’ll thought it was a terrific read. Set in Britain during World War Two, it follows two young woman. I won’t say more in fear of spoiling something. It’s a cracking good read.
Great girl power, best friend book!
This story took me a little while to become fully connected, but once that happened I could hardly put it down. As an avid reader of historical fiction, this story provided rich background material of women fighting in WWII and the suspenseful page-turning nail biting consequences of surviving in enemy territory. The characters were memorable and well drawn. The story stays with you long after you’ve finished the book.
An compelling story about two smart young women who become true friends as they work in the resistance against the Nazis.
Parts of this book were enjoyably and other parts dragged on. I was not sure what to expect and the story twisted and turned and kept you wondering “what next?”
Code Name Verity was published as a YA novel, but it is mature and worth reading for adults who enjoy historical fiction dealing with World War II. The two protagonists of the novel are young girls who first become friends because they both are fascinated with airplanes and want to fly, even though women pilots are almost unheard of in this time period. They find a way to serve their country as ferry pilots, flying planes from one location to another so that they can then be piloted by trained fighter pilots. Soon their talent and courage are recognized and one is asked to enter France as a spy because she speaks fluent French. Her mission quickly goes awry and she is imprisoned by the Nazis and subjected to unspeakable torture. The story of how she thwarts her captors and the strength of the bond between friends is courageous and heart-breaking at the same time. It’s a very good novel about a horrible time in history that brought out both the best and the worst in those who lived through it.