I'm not generally a fan of historical fiction. I realize this seems somewhat hypocritical, as I was an overeager history major, but often, I find historical fiction more impenetrable than a primary source document. The characters feel either intangible or modern. I get distracted by historical info-dumps; bored by epic scale machinations. So when I got sent a copy of Code Name Verity, I thought, OK, I'll read 20 pages and then I'll give it to my sister. But my sister has not yet

Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity is an intensely moving novel for teens (although I suspect that adults will also enjoy it). It's one of those novels that are especially hard to talk about because it's vital to a reader's enjoyment not to give anything about the story away in a description or review. (John Green's The Fault in Our Stars is another example of this sort of novel.) I'd be

—Nancy Pearl