Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

“I AM A COWARD. I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was…But now I know I am a coward.” Talk about good opening lines/paragraphs. Code Name Verity was a book mentioned by Beth Kephart in her recent keynote address regarding the Future of YA Publishing. What a riveting book.

The first part is told by Verity (code name) after her capture and imprisonment by the Nazis. Verity makes a deal with the SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer von Linden–her story for her life. Her story, though, must include information valuable to the Third Reich such as codes and code names, air bases, etc. It starts with her meeting Kittyhawk (code name), a young girl who wants to be a pilot and progresses to the point of her parachuting into France and being captured. It is a roller coaster ride of plane rides and spy training and role playing. Along the way it describes her relationship with Kittyhawk and, in grusome detail, some of the torture techniques used by the Nazis to loosen tongues of captives.

Part 2 begins at the point Kittyhawk’s plane is struck by anti-aircraft guns and she tells Verity to parachute out. Kittyhawk ultimately lands her broken plane in France and is met by the Resistance who hides her until she can return to England. Along the way, she takes part in some interesting diversions. Kittyhawk takes the story to its agony inducing, heart racing conclusion.

I started reading Code Name Verity in dribs and drabs, a few minutes here, a few minutes there. But that (a) doesn’t do it justice and (b) when you read it for longer stretches you won’t want to put it down. This is not your typical run of the mill WW II novel. Not by a long shot. It’s a story about bravery and relationships and doing the right thing. It is about the clash between what you do and what you portray to others…how you do or don’t live with yourself.

Code Name Verity has already made it to many Top 10 lists and I’m sure it will be on mine if I ever get a chance to compile it.