Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“I’m looking for truth. Je church la vé·ri·té”

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

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CBR 14 BINGO: Shadow, because it deals with shedding light on the truth, which is not always what it seems Code Name Verity has been sitting patiently on my TBR for close to 10 years (having first been published in 2012). I snatched it out of a Little Free Library and thought it would be the perfect entry for the Shadow category in this year’s bingo. Reviewing this novel without giving away any spoilers is a little difficult, but not impossible if I focus on […]

Too many unexpected developments = a super vague (but not spoilery) review

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

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This one is so hard to talk about without spoilers! There were at least three big plot points that took me by surprise, so I don’t really want to tell you anything. But I enjoyed 99% of this book, and I’m pretty sure I recommend it, even with that 1%. To start with, Julie is a LADY SPY. She’s beyond great. Unfortunately, she’s been captured by the Nazis, and has been forced to write down secret codes. However, she keeps resisting in whatever small ways […]

To be considered an ace, a fighter pilot has to shoot down five aircraft.

A Thousand Sisters by Elizabeth Wein

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This is a nonfiction of the female Soviet fighter pilots from WWII written by Elizabeth Wein, of Code Named Verity. It’s written for somewhat younger audience, evidenced primarily through a slightly simplified English prose style and explanatory sections that highlight complicated ideas such as America’s relationship with the Soviet Union at various times throughout our shared history, and of course ignoring the complex relationship with Russia today. The story begins by describing William Faulkner piecing together a screenplay for a movie to be made by […]

A little more time with Lady Julie Beaufort-Stuart

The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

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Code Name Verity was my favorite book of 2014. I reluctantly picked it up after some favorable Cannonball reviews and was immediately entranced. The story, the writing, and the characters kept me on the edge of my seat until I finished in a wave of tears. When I saw that Elizabeth Wein had written a book that involves Julie Beaufort-Stuart, a main character from Code Name Verity, I was once again a little reluctant to read it. I was afraid that it would not live up to Code […]

If I told you her real name, I’d have to kill you…

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I wasn’t sure what this book was about, just that it was good. So I took a chance and was thrust into the interrogation of a Scottish World War II war prisoner for the Germans. The subject of the interrogation? Not your usual WWII prisoner, as it’s a female. And she seems especially…perky?…for being interrogated. Okay, maybe perky isn’t the best choice of words, but she’s definitely not short on wits, snark, or even a sense of humor. And who can resist someone who says […]

“But I have told the truth. Isn’t that ironic? They sent me because I am so good at telling lies. But I have told the truth.”

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Code Name Verity has made the rounds on Cannonball since its publication. I read a lot of books about WW2 and enjoy well written YA Fiction so it seemed like a perfect match to my tastes. We’re all friends here so I am going to be perfectly honest with you. I almost quit this book. A few times. I am so glad I did not. Unfortunately I can’t properly explain my initial reaction or my wholehearted turnaround without giving away the plot. So I shall do […]



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