Read & Review: The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein

For most people, the start of World War 2 symbolized death and destruction. However, for some, it meant the beginning of a new life, a life with adventure and hope. That was how Louisa’s journey began in England, in a world full of secrecy, code, and warfare. She embarks on a magnificent journey with her elderly accomplice, Jane, and gets entangled in all sorts of affairs in hopes of proving her value in the war effort against Germany. Along with the help of the Royal Air Force, she relays messages decoded by an intricate machine from a Nazi defector. Enter a world full of excitement, mystery, and stealth in this captivating and inspiring novel.

This was quite different from other books I’ve read because it started out slow-paced, and gradually escalated things and made them interesting. The three central characters, Jamie, Louisa, and Ellen had a great connection with each other that was beautifully played out in the first few chapters of the book, and this bond got even stronger as the novel progressed. I enjoyed how different the writing style was from each different perspective of a character, and how that fits into their individual personalities. Although some characters were blander than others, the overarching plot of the novel worked out in a way that made up for that.

One memorable thing was how, instead of progressing chapters, the book simply switched viewpoints to the first-person perspective of another main character, and cycled through characters strategically in a certain situation. I also enjoyed the metaphorical comparisons made between characters who were different from the rest of the majority of England like Louisa and Ellen.

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Reviewed by, Arnav, Glen Allen Library