Code Name: Verity, by Elizabeth Wein

[rachelmanija]

Code Name: Verity is one of the best books I've read this year. I expected it to be excellent, since Wein is such a good writer and the author of several other favorite books of mine, but it surpassed my expectations

Comments

[estara]

Yes, this!
Although I sometimes think Medal honors doom a book to not be liked by the age-group it's aimed at (although CNV wasn 't written as a YA, the acquiring editor decided to make it one leader of a new YA imprint in the UK), I firmly believe this will really put ewein on the map of critical recognition - and we already see people who have picked up one of her other books because of CNV and discovered that she is a heck of a writer.

[rachelmanija]

It very easily could have been sold as an adult novel. But I think teens who enjoy non-fluffy books would like it.

[eegatland]

well, hi guys! normally I would sit quietly in the wings trying not to comment, but that seems silly since I know half of you (online, anyway), and also I can give you a definite answer here - it doesn't qualify as a Newbery contender for the simple reason that it was published in the UK before it was published in the US.

But it has just been named a Horn Book/Boston Globe Honor Book TODAY at BEA, so that is reason to celebrate!

[rachelmanija]

Thanks. Does that also disqualify it for the Printz?

But more importantly: totally deserved congratulations!

[tool_of_satan]

If you keep recommending things I need to read, I may have to defensively send you more books.

[rachelmanija]

Better hurry! I have three weeks - starting now - in which to get in reading for pleasure (possibly for varying values of pleasure as would include John Boyd) and backlogged promised reading.

[tool_of_satan]

I will see if I have anything suitable. In the meantime, I am not going to send you my copies but you definitely need to read The Killing Moon and The Shadowed Sun. They are not only good but very relevant to (some of) your interests.

*I* expect to get pleasure out of your reading John Boyd, if that counts.

[rachelmanija]

I definitely expect to get a very special type of enjoyment out of John Boyd. In fact I waited till my break so I could truly savor the specialness.

Thanks for the rec! I enjoyed Jemisin's 100K Kingdoms, but the new ones look even better/more to my taste.

[eegatland]

also, thank you for a stellar review. ♥

There is spoiler friendly CNV discussion group here, if anyone's interested, though I suspect starting a CNV spoiler-thread on Rachel's blog would generate some great discussion too:

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/70433-code-name-verity-spoiler-friendly-zone

[lyras]

I am hearing such good things about this book, every time I see another review it pushes it higher up my TBR pile.

Thanks for the info on Wein's other books - apparently I have been missing out!

[naomikritzer]

I would love a spoiler-friendly thread but please please please tell the people who haven't read it yet in the firmest possible terms NOT TO CLICK. (I will sometimes read spoilers because I am on the fence about reading a book, and I don't know what to say to convince anyone on the fence to JUST READ IT AND NOT CLICK but maybe you do?)