by Elizabeth Wein.
From a NYT review:
I’m in a bit of a predicament. Oh, it’s not the predicament of a girl pilot who has crash-landed in occupied France during World War II, or of a girl spy who has been captured by the Gestapo, but it’s still problematic. I have to review a book in which even the hint of plot summary could ruin everything.
“Code Name Verity,” by Elizabeth Wein, is a fiendishly plotted mind game of a novel, the kind you have to read twice. The first time you just devour the story of girl-pilot-and-girl-spy friendship and the thrill of flying a plane and the horrors of Nazi torture and the bravery of French Resistance fighters and you force yourself to slow down, but you don’t want to, because you’re terrified these beautiful, vibrant characters are doomed. The second time, you read more slowly, proving to yourself that yes, the clues were there all along for you to solve the giant puzzle you weren’t even aware was constructed around you, and it takes focus and attention to catch all the little references to the fact that nothing is what you thought. Especially while you’re bawling your eyes out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/books/review/code-name-verity-by-elizabeth-wein.html
I agree with the reviewer that adults will appreciate this book much more than the supposed YA audience it was intended for; it's reviewed as a "children's book," which it definitely isn't.
I posted this review because the reviewer is correct: it's a predicament to talk about it without spoiling it, but it's definitely worth reading.
= new reply since forum marked as read
