Review by wordslinger42 -- Code Name Lily by Julien Ayotte

[wordslinger42]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Code Name Lily" by Julien Ayotte.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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“A love unspoken is nevertheless still a love to remember,” and this could not be truer of the love story that readers can uncover in Code Name Lily. Tony Papineau receives an unexpected phone call one day, only to learn that the owner of his childhood home has discovered a box filled with items that come from his father’s mysterious past. When Tony claims this piece of history, he unwittingly embarks on a journey that will not only teach him about the stunning displays of bravery in the Belgian resistance movement during World War II but also the love that his father kept forever private and sacred. Julien Ayotte has written a classic war novel based on real events, complete with an understated, poignant love story that readers are sure to treasure.


The prologue of this book impressed me immediately. When reading this type of novel, especially when it concerns a period that readers are unfamiliar with, it is so helpful when the author provides a prologue with pertinent historical facts. Ayotte delivers precisely that and also does so in a way that remains engaging. I felt confident going into the first chapter that I had a clear enough understanding of Belgium in World War II that I could understand the plight of the characters and engage with historical events.


Ayotte also does a brilliant job of creating an attachment between her characters and readers. The first three chapters were exceptionally well done, creating a strong emotional bond with the present-day characters, like Tony and his siblings. From the beginning, readers are just as eager to uncover more of his father, Gerard’s secrets, and this creates the perfect set-up for the first flashback chapter.


The author also has a knack of using descriptions to create unique characters, and a perfect example of this is in Chapter Six. When describing Dedee, a member of the resistance movement, Ayotte says that “she looked physically small, but her face clearly depicted a stubborn and determined look. She’s a woman who doesn’t allow her appearance stand in the way of her calling….” While this gives a brief physical description, it offers readers powerful insight into Dedee’s tenacity and spunk, a detail that is far more important for her character to be fully understood.


I was pleasantly surprised to find less than ten errors in the book. To me, it seems exceptionally well-edited, and this only improves my opinion of the story as a whole. Mistakes can be very distracting, but I was able to appreciate the story with only minor interruptions. One example is in Chapter Eight, where the word “looked” should be “look.” My rating for this book is 4 out of 4 stars. I believe that Julien Ayotte has created a beautiful war novel that will leave readers humbled by the characters’ acts of selfless bravery and hopeful that, even in tragedy, love is possible to find. Code Name Lily is the perfect book for readers who love historical fiction and are looking for stories inspired by real-life heroes.

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Code Name Lily
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[Nkoo]

The author must be brilliant to be able to have interwoven a war and love story; two distinct elements. From your review, this must be an interesting book; I see that you enjoyed reading it. Thanks for a beautiful review.

[wordslinger42]

The author must be brilliant to be able to have interwoven a war and love story; two distinct elements. From your review, this must be an interesting book; I see that you enjoyed reading it. Thanks for a beautiful review.

The author really did an incredible job! Thank you for your kind words!

[La Cabra]

I've never read a story set in Belgium so I was instantly drawn to this novel upon reading through your first paragraph. This seems to be a very well written story, I should like to check this out some time. Thanks so much for your great review!

[Cheese 1309]

After reading this I can see that the author has been writing for a long time as it's written perfectly. I loved how the war and love went together really well too.