Wein, Elizabeth: Code Name Verity

[calico_reaction]

Comments

[beth_shulman]

I wanted to re-read it immediately thereafter too.

Yeah, me too. I did, actually, begin again right when I finished. I loved this one so, so much. I actually didn't wait for the US release - I preordered it from Book Depository because I heard such good things and then spent two weeks wondering why I'd done that. I never do that.

And then I loved it, so that worked out.

[calico_reaction]

Indeed it did! I'm glad I broke down and bought it myself. I had a feeling I'd like it, but I'm always leery with YA lately, so I waited. :)

[jonaskaite]

Sooo... I keep seeing this book reviewed on GLBT book blogs, and I've heard varying things about it - that the relationship between the girls is just friendship, it's friendship with sexual tension, it's a love story. What's your read?

I mean, I love WWII stories, I love war stories featuring women, and I'll almost certainly read it ANYWAY, but I'm very confused by the fact that it seems to have absolutely taken off as a "lesbian book", despite entrenched (and entirely legitimate!) hostility toward timidly or deliberately vaguely articulated lesbian stories in general. Or is the book itself confusing on this point?

[calico_reaction]

I think it's a fantastic story about female friendship. One could see it as a bit more, at least in a shipper sense (there were moments when I wondered if there might actually be more between them, little charged moments), but there's nothing overt or obvious. I think it depends on what the reader wants, you know?

[jonaskaite]

Haha yes. I know that thing exactly.

[thebluerose]

Oooh I want to read this now! And I have heard nothing about it before this review, how is that?

[calico_reaction]

However it happened, that's not wholly a bad thing. But you should definitely read it and let me know your thoughts!

[thebluerose]

OMG I just finished reading this and IM SO GLAD I DID. Except for the fact I have a horrible head cold so crying into a tissue with a blocked nose is an unpleasant experience

[calico_reaction]

Yay! This book is definitely one of my favorites of the year!

[_ocelott_]

I agonized over my review for this one, because it was so hard to find the balance between saying enough that people would understand what an amazing book it was, and saying so much that I'd ruin things for them.

[calico_reaction]

It is definitely a hard one to review, because there's so much that's amazing and you don't want to spoil a bit of it.

[neile]

Thank you for describing the experience of reading this amazing book so very, very well.

[calico_reaction]

Thank you for the kind words! I was afraid I just babbled incoherently. :)