With Rose Under Fire, Elizabeth Wein may have established herself as a YA author whose books I will always purchase. I adored Code Name Verity, and its companion novel is completely different but equally good. I love how Wein adeptly crafts female friendships and alliances. Her books are a testament to the strength that women have when they work together and the almost mystical power of best friends. You don't need to have read CNV to understand this story, but it is fun to get another look at Maddie from a different perspective and get an update on her story. 
 RUF gets off to a slower start, but it makes up for it with disgustingly tantalizing details that kept me reading for the rest of the book. I stayed up too late reading this book multiple nights in a row. I love how Wein weaved in real details about Ravensbruck with more fictional elements that keep the story moving. I really appreciated her detailed acknowledgements at the end where she credits all of the sources she used to gather her information. 
 Rose also sprinkled poetry-- both famous and her own-- throughout the story, and they provided wonderful insight into her state of mind and her upbringing. Wein could easily publish a poetry collection if her crafted words in this story accurately represents her skill. 
 Pick up some Wein; you won't regret it.