I was astounded by the beauty of this paper package of wartime excellence. If the action doesn't draw you in, the characters, written in-depth and breathtaking detail, certainly will. I implore you to read this novel - it will never leave you, but that is a good thing.
Many of us have heard of the enigma code, the devious code that kept german messages out of British grasp during WW2. But as one particular character in this book tells us, rules are there to be broken, and as you read on, so it seems are codes...
Louisa is an endearing, strong character and 1 of 3 heroes that drive a story you'll never forget. She is battered, bruised, and only riled by the war that has taken both of her parents before this story has even begun. Ellen is equally driven and is burdened by a different piece of her past that follows everywhere her she drives her battered military van. And Jamie is a headstrong, daring and skilful pilot - or at least that's how he appears. These three heroes will be thrown together and tumble into an adventure in the same haphazard manner, but there is nothing messy about this beautifully written tale of codes, planes and identity.
Spies. Codes. Danger. This book has plot twists, dashing heroines, brave airmen and seemingly impossible codes left by the enemy - who aren’t quite what they seem. Kind but fierce elderly women who sing opera and speak German are assisted by young women who have faced all the prejudices in life and are still following their greatest ambitions.
Louisa feels all alone in the world after her mother is killed in the Blitz and her father is sent out with the navy at sea. As a mixed-race young woman, she has always been judged - before anyone bothers to look beneath the surface.
She applies for a job helping an elderly woman with a fiery personality and is accepted. She develops a bond with Jane, the woman in her care, as she learns that there is much more beneath the old woman’s wrinkly surface.
Louisa befriends a young RAF worker, Ellen, who is hiding a secret. A shocking plane crash brings the two closer together as the pilot, a German soldier, holds Ellen at gunpoint and after a sudden dramatic departure, Louisa finds an enigma machine which has been deliberately left by the German soldier, the key to the German coding problem the RAF have been struggling with.
The soldier who left the enigma machine returns with more of the so-called enemy and they are put in a German prison camp after they crash. One escapes which result in a deadly fiery inferno that Louisa and Jane narrowly escape from.
This book is dangerous, exciting and full of plot twists. I would recommend it to history fans and code enthusiasts.
The Enigma Game is a gripping World War II adventure where we follow three young characters as they stumble onto a discovery which will change history. Full of plot twists - an unputdownable book!
The Enigma Game was a great read, switching between the perspectives of the three main characters, all young and eager to see World War II come to an end.
The story is based around Windyedge Aerodrome in Scotland where the young Scottish pilot Jamie Beaufort-Stuart works as a flight lieutenant in command of B flight Pimms section. Ellen McEwan works as a volunteer driver at Windyedge and Louisa looks after an elderly lady in a nearby pub after becoming orphaned by the war. The heroines make a discovery that could alter the course of the war. Working as a team they endeavour to translate a series of coded messages to discover U boat manoeuvres in the North Sea and aid the war effort.
Many secrets and intriguing plot twists help to grip the reader in this inescapable and unputdownable book. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy war-themed stories and books with lots of twists and turns. Suitable for around age 11+
This book was exciting, sad and an adventure to read.
This book was exciting, sad and an adventure to read. I enjoyed engaging with the characters and going on the journey with them. I liked the elements of danger and fear which kept me on my toes. It might not have been for me but I do recommend this for adventure lovers and people who want to go on a ride. This book was heartfelt and strong but powerful. This thriller was a very good book and I do recommend it. Louisa fights through the challenges which shows a strong sense of character making the read even better. The Enigma Game was an inspiring book which showed strength and resilience in hard times.
I admire the strength they had to get through everything. They went through so much and this book is great if you want to be inspired and put through the challenges with them.
I would definitely recommend ‘The Enigma Game’ as it is such an in-depth, interesting and thrilling novel in which I enjoyed reading.
Based in 1940’s Britain, the novel ‘The Enigma Game’ shows a completely different perspective to the Second World War. I find it quite fascinating that we see unique and different points of view throughout the novel, showing emotions and feelings of different characters through their own eyes. The novel is about an orphaned young girl called Louisa, who does not quite fit in, due to her skin tone, and how she finds work looking after an old lady at a pub in Scotland after losing her parents. The pub is near an RAF airfield, leading to her meeting Ellen, a driver for the RAF, and Jamie, a young pilot. Louisa and her three new friends, the driver, the pilot and the old lady, soon discover something that could alter the course of the war which leads them on a wild adventure of secrecy, excitement and danger.
My favourite character is Jane Warner, the old lady Louisa Adair looks after and the aunt of the pub’s owner. She is also German and living under a fake name. I find she is an interesting character as she has so much history and such a vast back story in which she was an opera singer. Her life has changed so much due to the war, her German background leading to her being locked up like a criminal, although she did nothing wrong. She helps Louisa and her friends on their adventure by translating any German for them, and even teaches Louisa morse code, another thing from her past. She is a very head-strong character and has a love for music in which she shares with Louisa.
My favourite part of the novel is when a German defector lands at the airfield for a secret mission in which the British soldiers must leave him complete. He insists on staying at the pub, with Ellen driving him there much to her dismay. The German also has a love for music and even plays the piano, but everyone was too afraid or disgusted by the German to enjoy his music. He played records all night and left in the morning. No one knew why he was there at the time, but they soon found out.
I believe the novel is suitable for those aged 13+ and have an interest in the Second World War. I would definitely recommend ‘The Enigma Game’ as it is such an in-depth, interesting and thrilling novel in which I enjoyed reading.