bizzybee429's review
3.0
This book was just okay. Definitely my least favorite of the series so far. I love Velva Jean so I'll probably read the fourth one but we'll see.
carebear102106's review
5.0
I hope there are more books on the way. I want to know what's next for Velva Jean Hart.
backonthealex's review
4.0
It has been almost a year since I reviewed Velva Jean Learns to Fly by Jennifer Niven. As you may recall, Velva Jean married at 16, learned to drive and at 18, drove from North Carolina to Nashville by herself, leaving her husband and hoping to a sing at the Grand Ol' Opry. Talk about coming of age.
But then World War II began and VelvaJean found herself in the WASP Program (Women's Airforce Service Pilots.) Now, in Becoming Clementine, it is June 16, 1944, Velva Jean is 21 and a seasoned pilot. So seasoned that she has just become the first woman to fly a B-17 Flying Fortress across the Atlantic Ocean to Preswick Airfield, Scotland. Proud of her accomplishment, she also has an ulterior motive for accepting this challenge - her beloved brother Johnny Clay, a paratrooper, hasn't been heard from since October 18, 1943 and Velva Jean is on a personal mission to find him.
As luck would have it, Preswick has been short of pilots since D-Day, less than two weeks earlier and Velva Jean decides getting to Europe would be the best way to find Johnny Clay, so she convinces all relevant authorities to let her copilot a mission to France. On July 13, she gets orders to fly to Roun, dropping supplies and a team of OSS agents and returning immediately to base.
Naturally, over France, the plane is hit by enemy ground fire and badly damaged though still flying. Then, when they finally find the place to make their drop, they realize it has been compromised by Germans. In an attempt to avoid them and singing "My Darling Clementine" to keep herself calm, the plane nevertheless crashes. Velva Jean's flight crew is killed. The team of five she was to drop does survive, but, angry and disgusted, they want to leave Velva Jean behind and try to find their own way.
Well, they may have wanted to leave Velva Jean, but she was a woman with a mission and a strong will. Eventually, the survivors meet up with a member of the resistance and that begins their journey through occupied France with the aid of the Underground, eventually ending in Paris. Through all this, Velva Jean finds herself more and more attracted to the leader of the OSS team, Émile Gravais and eventually this becomes a mutual attraction.
In Paris, Velva Jean is given a new identity, Clementine Roux, an American who married a Frenchman, unable to return to the US after the war began and her husband was killed. Now, she is pulled into the mission Gravais and his team are to accomplish - rescuing an important agent code-named Swan being held in a woman's prison in Paris.
Velva Jean alias Clementine's new mission: get herself picked up and sent to the same prison. Is that what happens? No, it isn't. And don't think for a moment she has forgotten about Johnny Clay.
One of the things I found very interesting in Becoming Clementine was how difficult it was for Velva Jean to embrace her new identity as Clementine Roux. It is a testament to her strong sense of who she is that made Velva Jean want to keep surfacing, even in the face of danger.
I did feel that some of the technical bits about planes and things like that could have used some editing, mostly because I have no idea what I was reading about. Confession: I thought skipping those bits but actually read on, all the while realizing that my fear of flying was getting the best of me and that some readers would find this fascinating.
Becoming Clementine has something for everyone: excitement, espionage, romance (but not much sex, none explicit), action, but it also has violence, lots of it and cursing, lots of that, so be warned. It is a gritty, fact-paced novel but I felt it may still have the same level of YA appeal that Velva Jean Learns to Fly had even since it is still a coming of age story of sorts. After all she had been through, it was hard to realize the Velva Jean is only 22 by the end of this novel.
And yes, there will be a fourth Velva Jean novel in autumn 2013.
This book is recommended for readers age 18+ and sophisticated teens with an interest in WWII
This book was received as an E-ARC through Net Galley
But then World War II began and VelvaJean found herself in the WASP Program (Women's Airforce Service Pilots.) Now, in Becoming Clementine, it is June 16, 1944, Velva Jean is 21 and a seasoned pilot. So seasoned that she has just become the first woman to fly a B-17 Flying Fortress across the Atlantic Ocean to Preswick Airfield, Scotland. Proud of her accomplishment, she also has an ulterior motive for accepting this challenge - her beloved brother Johnny Clay, a paratrooper, hasn't been heard from since October 18, 1943 and Velva Jean is on a personal mission to find him.
As luck would have it, Preswick has been short of pilots since D-Day, less than two weeks earlier and Velva Jean decides getting to Europe would be the best way to find Johnny Clay, so she convinces all relevant authorities to let her copilot a mission to France. On July 13, she gets orders to fly to Roun, dropping supplies and a team of OSS agents and returning immediately to base.
Naturally, over France, the plane is hit by enemy ground fire and badly damaged though still flying. Then, when they finally find the place to make their drop, they realize it has been compromised by Germans. In an attempt to avoid them and singing "My Darling Clementine" to keep herself calm, the plane nevertheless crashes. Velva Jean's flight crew is killed. The team of five she was to drop does survive, but, angry and disgusted, they want to leave Velva Jean behind and try to find their own way.
Well, they may have wanted to leave Velva Jean, but she was a woman with a mission and a strong will. Eventually, the survivors meet up with a member of the resistance and that begins their journey through occupied France with the aid of the Underground, eventually ending in Paris. Through all this, Velva Jean finds herself more and more attracted to the leader of the OSS team, Émile Gravais and eventually this becomes a mutual attraction.
In Paris, Velva Jean is given a new identity, Clementine Roux, an American who married a Frenchman, unable to return to the US after the war began and her husband was killed. Now, she is pulled into the mission Gravais and his team are to accomplish - rescuing an important agent code-named Swan being held in a woman's prison in Paris.
Velva Jean alias Clementine's new mission: get herself picked up and sent to the same prison. Is that what happens? No, it isn't. And don't think for a moment she has forgotten about Johnny Clay.
One of the things I found very interesting in Becoming Clementine was how difficult it was for Velva Jean to embrace her new identity as Clementine Roux. It is a testament to her strong sense of who she is that made Velva Jean want to keep surfacing, even in the face of danger.
I did feel that some of the technical bits about planes and things like that could have used some editing, mostly because I have no idea what I was reading about. Confession: I thought skipping those bits but actually read on, all the while realizing that my fear of flying was getting the best of me and that some readers would find this fascinating.
Becoming Clementine has something for everyone: excitement, espionage, romance (but not much sex, none explicit), action, but it also has violence, lots of it and cursing, lots of that, so be warned. It is a gritty, fact-paced novel but I felt it may still have the same level of YA appeal that Velva Jean Learns to Fly had even since it is still a coming of age story of sorts. After all she had been through, it was hard to realize the Velva Jean is only 22 by the end of this novel.
And yes, there will be a fourth Velva Jean novel in autumn 2013.
This book is recommended for readers age 18+ and sophisticated teens with an interest in WWII
This book was received as an E-ARC through Net Galley
krisz's review
4.0
My husband brought this book from the US - he usually brings me some whenever he can. JN's books are not available in Hungary in any form, so when last year he picked up yet an other JN by pure accident I was thrilled :)
I wanted to save it for a rainy day, so I immediately put it away, not even reading the back cover so it wouldn't intrigue me. However because of the title, and because there are these red-pink curtains on the cover, I thought it would be related to theatre.
When I decided to read it, finally, I was surprised to see it is a Velva Jean story. Now, why wasn't this written on the cover? Or included in the title, like "Velva Jean becomes Clementine"? So I was confused.
The story was promising, and the first half of the book was awesome, exactly as I expected: interesting, exciting and described in a way that made me imagine everything so easily. And the second half was good, too - only there was too much spying there for me. I thought all along, that a simpler story would have worked better. It was a bit improbable that Velva Jean became so good at everything: not only she can sing and write songs, and can drive and fly even a bomber, but she can become a first-class spy as well, being able to memorise maps? I was a bit puzzled though, how can one bury anything in the ground with bare hands and without any trace left? I dig our garden frequently and if agents could do this, hats off, really!
I loved the style again: the sentences keep flowing on their own accord, the whole text is perfect as it is, which is a rare treat!
I hope JN writes a lot of books about lots of things and I can read them all!
I wanted to save it for a rainy day, so I immediately put it away, not even reading the back cover so it wouldn't intrigue me. However because of the title, and because there are these red-pink curtains on the cover, I thought it would be related to theatre.
When I decided to read it, finally, I was surprised to see it is a Velva Jean story. Now, why wasn't this written on the cover? Or included in the title, like "Velva Jean becomes Clementine"? So I was confused.
The story was promising, and the first half of the book was awesome, exactly as I expected: interesting, exciting and described in a way that made me imagine everything so easily. And the second half was good, too - only there was too much spying there for me. I thought all along, that a simpler story would have worked better. It was a bit improbable that Velva Jean became so good at everything: not only she can sing and write songs, and can drive and fly even a bomber, but she can become a first-class spy as well, being able to memorise maps? I was a bit puzzled though, how can one bury anything in the ground with bare hands and without any trace left? I dig our garden frequently and if agents could do this, hats off, really!
I loved the style again: the sentences keep flowing on their own accord, the whole text is perfect as it is, which is a rare treat!
I hope JN writes a lot of books about lots of things and I can read them all!
mcdawn73's review against another edition
5.0
Another great book in the continuing story of Velva Jean Hart. I've loved this series from the first book, [b:Velva Jean Learns to Drive|6193902|Velva Jean Learns to Drive (Velva Jean, #1)|Jennifer Niven|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1315356010s/6193902.jpg|6374339]. I really like how Jennifer Niven starts this one right where [b:Velva Jean Learns to Fly|10790345|Velva Jean Learns to Fly (Velva Jean, #2)|Jennifer Niven|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1439870698s/10790345.jpg|15702627] left off. There's no guessing what happened or time lapse. I love a good historical fiction and each of these books has brought some history into them which I found great. I'm looking forward to the next one.
This review can be found at https://mcdawnreviews.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/becoming-clementine/
This review can be found at https://mcdawnreviews.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/becoming-clementine/
kelseyjobrien's review against another edition
4.0
I gave it more gas and pushed the throttle, and there was that one moment, the one that happens just before a plane takes off when everything seems to drop into the feet - heart, stomach, knees. It's the moment when anything can happen, when you feel as if you can do anything and everything and live forever. It's the moment when I can suddenly hear all the songs there are to write in this world and see all the places there are to go. It is ceiling and visibility unlimited. It is beyond the keep.
Velva Jean, our plucky and beloved heroine, is now a bonafide WASP. In fact, she's just flown a B17 bomber over the Atlantic, and has joined another mission, where she must make a drop into France. She wants to prove that she can do this, because she's tired of men, and even her government, saying that women can't fly planes, but secretly, she has another mission of her own to accomplish. Her brother and best friend, Johnny Clay, has gone missing, and it's up to Velva Jean to find him.
Velva Jean goes on quite the journey, twisting and wandering throughout different countries, different people, and even different identities, in the search for her brother, but she's also tasked with finding someone else, too. They call them the "Swan," and they're a spy that's of the utmost importance to get back. To do this, Velva Jean becomes a spy herself, but when she's captured and sent to prison, she must work her way out, because nothing is going to stop her.
Though determination and love is at the forefront of this story, like with all other Velva Jean books, I do have to say that this specific story was missing that sort of backwoods charm Velva Jean always seems to bring. However, this is by no means a complaint! It makes sense with the story, as she is going through a war, and she encounters things that no human should have to encounter, ever. But having said that, I did miss that special, je ne sais quoi, the other two books had.
What was so special with this book though was the fact that Niven really managed to get into the heads of those fighting, and those who have fought. We see Velva Jean struggle to adapt to a new life, and a completely new identity. Towards the end, she has literally no sense of who she is anymore, and when an officer tells her that they have to verify her identification, she thinks to herself, "good luck". It's hard to read through, because the other books have set up this character that's written so well that she becomes a friend, and when we see her lose sight of herself, of her own identity, it's jarring, but that's exactly what makes this story so profound.
We see soldiers who have no clue what they'll do when the war is over, because it's been their life for the past five years. We see others who are happy one minute, and the next they're angry, or just staring up at the ceiling, refusing, or being unable to, speak. They have tough times sleeping in beds, because they're too soft, they have a tough time being wounded because they aren't out there fighting, they have a tough time accepting that they lost a body part, or a friend, they have a tough time eating a full meal, and what's so great about all of that is that it's so real.
Actually, I only have one complaint for the whole book, and that's with the "Swan" character (I won't tell you who they are). We learn next to nothing about them, except for the fact that they're very, very important, and that bugged me. Half of the story is about Velva Jean rescuing them, and then, we don't even get to learn why they were such a big deal, that 16 men lost their lives trying to save them. But, all in all, the story isn't really about them. It's about Velva Jean, and then not Velva Jean, and about Johnny Clay.
I do wish though, that at the end, we got to see how the rest of the war played out, and how Velva Jean reacted to that. The ending was great, and fit in very nicely with the story, but I wanted more! What did she think? How did she react? Did she find out about the Holocaust? What happened to Gossie, and the others? We saw her finding out about the fact that the WASP were disbanded, and that the government essentially told all the women who had volunteered and fought for their country to pack up and go home, no awards or medals given. (And I loved a certain character's reaction to that, too!) But I still have so many more questions! Maybe they'll get answered in the next book, but I'll have to wait and see!
I want to say so much more in this review, but I don't want to give everything away. I also think that this is the kind of book where, if you dissect it too much, you lose the magic. (And when you do read it, you'll completely understand what I mean). All I'll say is that you'll have to read it for yourself, and that I'm jealous of you if you're reading it for the first time!
Though it's a light read, it's a very in depth story, and one that I'd greatly recommend. I'd recommend the whole Velva Jean series, actually! I do have to say though, too, I know there's one more book after this, and I think that the fourth book might be the last, but this book really seemed like an ending. I'm getting sad thinking about having no more Velva Jean books to read!
Just a quick little note, and then I'm done! I promise! If you do want to read this book, I would say almost 100% you should read the others before it, even if they don't seem interesting to you. Though you could read this as a stand alone, I wouldn't recommend it, because then, you won't get the true essence of who Velva Jean is, and that's what makes this series.
Velva Jean, our plucky and beloved heroine, is now a bonafide WASP. In fact, she's just flown a B17 bomber over the Atlantic, and has joined another mission, where she must make a drop into France. She wants to prove that she can do this, because she's tired of men, and even her government, saying that women can't fly planes, but secretly, she has another mission of her own to accomplish. Her brother and best friend, Johnny Clay, has gone missing, and it's up to Velva Jean to find him.
Velva Jean goes on quite the journey, twisting and wandering throughout different countries, different people, and even different identities, in the search for her brother, but she's also tasked with finding someone else, too. They call them the "Swan," and they're a spy that's of the utmost importance to get back. To do this, Velva Jean becomes a spy herself, but when she's captured and sent to prison, she must work her way out, because nothing is going to stop her.
Though determination and love is at the forefront of this story, like with all other Velva Jean books, I do have to say that this specific story was missing that sort of backwoods charm Velva Jean always seems to bring. However, this is by no means a complaint! It makes sense with the story, as she is going through a war, and she encounters things that no human should have to encounter, ever. But having said that, I did miss that special, je ne sais quoi, the other two books had.
What was so special with this book though was the fact that Niven really managed to get into the heads of those fighting, and those who have fought. We see Velva Jean struggle to adapt to a new life, and a completely new identity. Towards the end, she has literally no sense of who she is anymore, and when an officer tells her that they have to verify her identification, she thinks to herself, "good luck". It's hard to read through, because the other books have set up this character that's written so well that she becomes a friend, and when we see her lose sight of herself, of her own identity, it's jarring, but that's exactly what makes this story so profound.
We see soldiers who have no clue what they'll do when the war is over, because it's been their life for the past five years. We see others who are happy one minute, and the next they're angry, or just staring up at the ceiling, refusing, or being unable to, speak. They have tough times sleeping in beds, because they're too soft, they have a tough time being wounded because they aren't out there fighting, they have a tough time accepting that they lost a body part, or a friend, they have a tough time eating a full meal, and what's so great about all of that is that it's so real.
Actually, I only have one complaint for the whole book, and that's with the "Swan" character (I won't tell you who they are). We learn next to nothing about them, except for the fact that they're very, very important, and that bugged me. Half of the story is about Velva Jean rescuing them, and then, we don't even get to learn why they were such a big deal, that 16 men lost their lives trying to save them. But, all in all, the story isn't really about them. It's about Velva Jean, and then not Velva Jean, and about Johnny Clay.
I do wish though, that at the end, we got to see how the rest of the war played out, and how Velva Jean reacted to that. The ending was great, and fit in very nicely with the story, but I wanted more! What did she think? How did she react? Did she find out about the Holocaust? What happened to Gossie, and the others? We saw her finding out about the fact that the WASP were disbanded, and that the government essentially told all the women who had volunteered and fought for their country to pack up and go home, no awards or medals given. (And I loved a certain character's reaction to that, too!) But I still have so many more questions! Maybe they'll get answered in the next book, but I'll have to wait and see!
I want to say so much more in this review, but I don't want to give everything away. I also think that this is the kind of book where, if you dissect it too much, you lose the magic. (And when you do read it, you'll completely understand what I mean). All I'll say is that you'll have to read it for yourself, and that I'm jealous of you if you're reading it for the first time!
Though it's a light read, it's a very in depth story, and one that I'd greatly recommend. I'd recommend the whole Velva Jean series, actually! I do have to say though, too, I know there's one more book after this, and I think that the fourth book might be the last, but this book really seemed like an ending. I'm getting sad thinking about having no more Velva Jean books to read!
Just a quick little note, and then I'm done! I promise! If you do want to read this book, I would say almost 100% you should read the others before it, even if they don't seem interesting to you. Though you could read this as a stand alone, I wouldn't recommend it, because then, you won't get the true essence of who Velva Jean is, and that's what makes this series.
More...