Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

4 reviews

03140786's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Ableism, and War

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Racism, Racial slurs, and Toxic friendship

Racism is experienced by a supporting character and his son, and other characters use racial slurs to refer to them as well. There is also a description of a sexual assault attempt that happened to a main character in her past. Finally a

character is forcefully put into a mental institution against her will by other characters

. Otherwise period appropriate sexism and ableism appear.

beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

emotional informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

For the most part, The Rose Code was a gripping, compelling work set against the backdrop of the Bletchley Park codebreaking operation in Buckinghamshire, England, during the Second World War.

The novel follows three women who worked there - socialite Osla Kendall, working-class Mabel "Mab" Churt, and shy but brilliant local girl, Bethan "Beth" Finch who today would probably be diagnosed as autistic.

Kate Quinn excels in creating a vivid atmosphere, rich in historical detail with characters who feel three-dimensional.  These characters are either composites of real people, fictionalised versions of real people, or actual historical figures - such as the late Prince Philip

(who the fictionalised Osla is in a relationship with, as was the real Osla before he married the now-late Queen)

, the-then Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and Winston Churchill.

But even though it's clear that Quinn did her homework on history, I found that upon reading the extensive author's note, I disliked the way she adapted characters and historical events to suit the plot. I know most authors of historical fiction do this, and normally I don't have a problem with it, but somehow it kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it's because the backdrop of the novel is set in (relatively) recent times. I don't know - maybe it's just me.

Anyway, The Rose Code is still a beautifully written and excellently-paced novel - but if you're a historical purist, it might not be your cup of tea.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Violence, War, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Bullying, Racism, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racial slurs, Ableism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Antisemitism and Genocide

A past gang rape attempt is described. The survivor, Mab, manages to fend off her attackers, and as a result of this, she has a fear of sexual intimacy. Another main character, Beth, is probably autistic - although this is never stated explicitly. She is bullied by her mother. Once employed at Bletchley Park, Beth experiences breakdowns and burnout, and works for hours at a time. She is later sent by one of the other employees at Bletchley Park to a sanatorium in order to ensure her silence about an act of treason. Once there, she is coerced, abused and gaslighted by the staff and on one occasion exchanges sexual favours for information. She also later is threatened with undergoing a lobotomy, and the procedure is described in detail. It does occur to another minor character, but Beth is rescued before the procedure is carried out.

She also has an affair with a married man called Harry Zarb. Harry and his wife Sheila have an open marriage, staying together for the sake of their only son, who has polio.

shishirin's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The royalism and the patriotism got a bit much at times. 
Didn't realise it was based on real people, and I'm not sure how I feel about that, especially regarding Beth. She is clearly written as a rather stereotypical autistic person by what I presume is a NT author. It's not for me to say if it's done well enough, but it did raise some alarm bells.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Sexual assault and Grief

ninjamuse's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Ableism, Cancer, Medical trauma, Infidelity, and Alcoholism

Minor: Animal cruelty