This is the book to read this summer. A legit beach read—no chick-lit fluff, no cheesy romance.

Code Name Verity is the story of two indomitable women; one, a wireless operator and the other an RAF pilot. After crash landing in occupied France during WW2, the operator is captured by the Gestapo and interrogated.

Though beautiful sentences were scarce (my usual mark of a good read), the genius was found in the voice and the style of the novel. The story was told in two epistolatory parts. Simultaneously witty and devastating, it went from strength to strength, resulting in a real page turning experience.

I have lots to say about this book, but I’ll keep this review short so as not to reveal any of the twists and turns in the story. There are many.

If you only have time for one novel this summer… this is the one you’ll want to get stuck into.