Originally reviewed at Hooked on Books 
 Being semi-obsessed with speculative fiction often means I'm a little behind when there's a must-read book from another genre out there. Such was the case with Code Name Verity. I enjoy historical fiction and I actually read quite a bit of it. I don't, however, follow the new releases as carefully as I do spec-fic. But after reading Code Name Verity I find myself reconsidering that position. 
 Why was this book so amazing you ask? Well to start off with, it was a pulse pounding, heart wrenching adventure of a book. I've read a lot (a lot) of World War II novels in my day. That's pretty much all they gave us growing up. This wasn't a bad thing, but it did give me the impression that I had "read them all." Code Name Verity proved me wrong. This book was beautiful and surprised me over and over again as I was reading. I don't have enough words to describe the emotional depth and authenticity of this novel. 
 I also loved getting to know the main characters of Code Name Verity. Unique, independent and strong, I'm honestly not sure if I prefer one over the other. Queenie is a quick thinker and a little arrogant, but I couldn't help admire her throughout all her struggles. I couldn't imagine how horrible her life would have been after being captured by the Germans and I felt overwhelmed by an urge to protect her, even though I barely knew her. Maddie on the other hand, is more withdrawn and practical. Her level of courage and determination is something we can all aspire to. 
 I could go on about this novel, but at the end of the day it comes down to this. You need to read this novel. It hits all the right emotional notes and does so with incredible historical detail. And to top is all off, it has an ending that all but made me sob on the subway ride home. 
 Final recommendation: I can't recommend this book enough. Whether you regularly read historical fiction or not, you're sure to love it.