The Brightwood Code by Monica Hesse
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Web ID: 18496882Gripping story of WWI
For some reason, there is not a great deal of historical fiction for this age group – too much like school? But the ones that are written are exceptional. Two that come to mind are “Shadow on the Mountain” and “Code Name Verity” both about WWII. In WWI, young women were sent to Europe to work as telephone operators, often in camps near the fronts so calls could be relayed between troops. In 1918, Edda blows off her high school graduation party in Baltimore and, with her knowledge of French, makes her way to France to help with the war effort. Traumatized by something that happens to her, she comes back home to work as a telephone operator for Bell Telephone and hopefully to forget… until an unidentified caller sends her spiraling.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great quick YA read
This book is about a Hello Girl in France during World War I, who makes a devastating mistake that leaves her wallowing in guilt and shame. Once back home, she gets a job at Bell Telephone as an operator and receives a connection from someone who is begging her to tell the truth before it’s too late. As she races the clock to figure out who is reaching out to her, we learn of what happened in France and why she tried to leave it all behind. When I began this story, I must admit, I was very frustrated. The main character, Edda, is obviously distraught over whatever happened in France. She gets a call from someone while at work who wants her to tell the truth before it’s too late, and the MC proceeds to spiral out of control with terror that what she did will be…I don’t actually know. Revealed? Sent to the press? Told to her co-workers and parents? It’s never really clear what she’s worried about. We learn of what happened when she reveals the info to her neighbor, Theo. At this point she even states that she has told him the “whole story.” But the reveal, her big mistake, was not anything that would require her reaction to the call she got. To me, it didn’t match up. HOWEVER, as the story progresses, I feel like everything falls into place. At almost the half way point, it becomes apparent that what we’re being told wasn’t the whole story and her reaction makes more sense. After that, the story picks up pace. I didn’t want to put the book down. It felt like something new was revealed every few chapters. At times, some of the connections seemed like ridiculous coincidences, like the author pushed it too far, but for the most part it was a very gripping read in the second half. This is a young adult novel, so the writing is quick and easy to read, but because of some of the topics that are explored here, I would say this is more appropriate for older “young adults.” The MC was developed quite well but she was about the only character who was. And, although I was irritated by her at the beginning, I empathized and even liked her at the end. Theo, however, needed to be developed more and I really wish we could have learned a little more about Mae. I really enjoyed learning about the Hello Girls. It wasn’t something I had ever heard of before. It was also refreshing to read about World War I instead of WWII. Overall, the last half turned the book around for me and I will definitely be seeking out further books by this author.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com