I'm not sure what to say about this book as an intro, besides "I loved it". It was probably the best new book I've read this year, it made me cry, and gave me a horrible book hangover. And if that isn't enough of a commendation...as you can see, right after I read the copy from the library, I went out and bought a copy from Barnes & Noble!
Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.
When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?
Worldbuilding/Writing Style
I can't speak to the correctitude of all of the British WWII settings, but they seemed correct to me...and from what I've seen of Nazi prisons/concentration camps (not being ironic, I actually have been to them) that part was realistic too. And the WRITINGGGGG! Wow, so realistic as to where it was being written, and the past sections and present sections were woven together so beautifully! Also: kudos to Wein for not doing the thing where the present is mentioned, the book is about the past, and then it comes back to the present at the end; in this one, the two times are interwoven. And I love that--the other way irritates me to no end!
Plot
Umm...what has this book done to my heart? The plot is amazing and twisty, and showing-of-the-human condition, and there are so many spoilers I could give, but I'm not going to yet--I'll put them at the bottom. Let me just say: the friendships? My. Favorite. There are not enough REALLY GOOD friendships in today's literature, but this book had one of them. Basically, this book WRECKED me. It joined only three other books in the list of Book I've Cried About In My Entire Life (The Burning Bridge, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and The Return of the King are the other ones) and now I need more books about WWII and beautiful friendships. Immediately, if not sooner. There's also the realism of WWII, and the plot twists involved; unreliable narrators (I shan't tell you which) and just awesomeness. Alright, time to *highlight for spoilers* The end, though? Perhaps not the most morally upright...(for those of you who are being BAD and reading this even though they haven't read the book yet: Maddie ends up shooting her best friend to keep her from being tortured by the Nazis and THEN being taken to Ravensbruck and tortured some more). Both 'Queenie' asking for it and Maddie shooting her--but it was really an impossible situation. Not what I would have done in that situation, nor what a Catholic/Christian should do in that situation, but I see why it was done. And aaaaaaaah it wrecked me. *end spoilers*
Characters
The Prisoner (names are important, and I shan't give hers away): Aaaaaah I loved her. Her matter-of-fact explanations, but also breakdowns in her account of events, her bravery, her cleverness...everything.
Maddie: Also loved Maddie! Her perseverance through her hatred of war, her love of flying, her friendshipppppp...*starts crying...you'll see why when you read the book* Her acceptance of her shortcomings and her bravery...wow.
Jamie: Doesn't show up all that much, but when he does...he's amazing. Such a great brother, there for his sister's friends, loves children, the perfect gentleman...honestly my ideal man?
Romance
Not really any? Unless you count *highlight for spoilers* Maddie and Jamie *end spoilers* which is not developed, but I ship it SO BAD.
Content
Torture (not super explicit), executions/murder (also not super explicit), allusions to inappropriateness (not explicit), and lots of swearing (but it's British, so mostly just h**l, bloody, and s**t, not any "hardcore" swearing).
Overall Rating
Despite the content, I'm definitely going to give this book 5 stars. ILISM.
Reminded Me Of...
The German Midwife (German prisons, WWII wartime), Nick of Time (the British war effort, although Nick is MG and a fantasy-historical-fiction novel)
Have you read this one? What are your favorite WWII fiction books? What about your favorite books with excellent friendships?
AGGHHH YES YES YES THIS BOOK I LOVE IT SO. Was prepared not to read it again for, y'know, a year or two because MY HEART HURT, OW. But I might have to cave and...like...buy a copy soonishly.
ReplyDeleteThat ship you mention. I ship it, too. So hard.
Have you heard the song "Home to You," by...Sigrid, I think is the name of the artist? I only discovered it because it plays at the end of the movie "The Aeronauts," which is kind of a cool movie and very aesthetic-y, but EVERY TIME I HEAR IT I make a music video of Maddie and you-know-who in my head. It works really well for them. And consequently makes me want to cry. They're just so beautiful and gahhhh I love them.
Also Jamie. Jamie is fantastic.
I KNOW, IS IT NOT AMAZING? Yeah, I don't know that I'll be able to read it again for awhile...but at least now I have my own copy when I decide I'm ready. XD
DeleteOh good. I'm glad I'm not off the wall on that. :)
I haven't heard it, but maybe I shouldn't listen to it now? :) It sounds good, though! Finding music that corresponds to fictional characters (especially fictional ships) is the bestest!
I know, he is 100% the best!
Ohhh yes, this book is pretty incredible! One of my favorite things about it is how authentic the flavor of it is. The writing SOUNDS like it was written by two actual young British women in WWII, unlike so much historical fiction.
ReplyDeleteAnd the friendship. I loved how real a friendship it was, how different Maddie and Queenie were, yet I CAN'T EVEN DECIDE WHICH ONE I LIKED BETTER. They were both such excellent characters, with their own definite flaws and incredible strengths.
You're so right about the thing Maddie does at the end, but I...also...can't blame her?? At all?? Yeah. What a horrible situation.
Also I one hundred percent ship that spoilery sorta-ship, oh yes I do. I barely ever ship any romance but I ship that. Hard.
(If you like WWII spy books, I highly, highly recommend Helen MacInnes. Assignment in Brittany is my favorite of her WWII books and includes some lovely friendships though the book isn't entirely ABOUT them, but all her WWII books are good. As are most of her others.)
(Also, friendship. Have you read Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped duology? Or The Song of Roland? Or Johnny Tremain? Or The Eagle of the Ninth? Or The House at Pooh Corner? Or the Betsy-Tacy books? Those have some of my favorite fictional friendships. And that was kind of a long list, but when someone gives me the opportunity to talk about my favorite fictional friendships...I cannot resist. XD)
Oh, and Kim (by Rudyard Kipling)! One of my favorite friendships EVER.
DeleteIsn't it? I know, it sounds like it was written by the cahracters, and what's more, they have the right priorities, too (don't you hate when, especially in historical romance, all the characters can think about is love? I mean, "there's a war on, mate!").
DeleteI know! It was so real, and so raw, too! And it's so rare that I can't decide which character I like better, but I think it's partially because Queenie talks about Maddie with so much love?
I know...it's a bad situation. But also very, very heart wrenching.
I know, I don't ship very much, but if that ship doesn't sail...
Ooh, I'll have to look that up!
I have read Kidnapped (it's been awhile), just finished Song of Roland (very good), enjoyed Johnny Tremain (a couple of years ago), have not read The Eagle of the Ninth, (but if it's about a Roman legion, count me in!), love House at Pooh Corner, AND Betsy-Tacy! (Those ones are so fun!). I've read part of Kim, but it was when I was younger, and I didn't appreciate it at all...perhaps someday I'll read it again and appreciate it more! Bookish friendships are the BEST!
(I don't...really read historical romance, but yeah. I hate that. Should I worry about whether I'm about to die or about whether he KNOWS I LIKE HIM NOW? OH NO. WE CAN NEVER BE TOGETHER AND I SHALL DIE OF A BROKEN HEART. OR POSSIBLY OF ALL THOSE BULLETS GETTING SHOT AT ME, I GUESS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN TOO. *facepalm*)
DeleteYes. Yes yes yes. And then THAT makes me like QUEENIE even more because she's so fond of Maddie...
(I don't read it very often either, but when I do, it's totally one of my pet peeves. And aahahaha, you nailed it. XD)
DeleteI knoooooowwww! It's a feedback loop of love.