Scan barcode
jjohnston_05's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Blood, and Mental illness
kailiyahknight's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Alcohol, Death, Body horror, Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, War, Emotional abuse, Gore, Alcoholism, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Suicide, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Sexual content, Cancer, Cursing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Excrement, and Vomit
hematthews's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Cursing, Grief, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Violence, War, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Drug use and Animal cruelty
coffeekitaab's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
We follow the story of Osla, Mab and Beth - three women from very different walks of life, who attend the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break military codes on the brink of the Second World War.
Vivacious debutante Osla comes from a family of wealth and connections, dating the dashing Prince Philip of Greece who share a deeper connection over their desire to contribute towards the British war effort and she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, putting her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets.
Imperious self-made Mab is a product of East-End London poverty, her love for literature gives fire to her determination to find a husband who will help give her status and help her rise through the social hierarchy. Mab arrives at Bletchley Park and becomes adept at working the machines used by codebreakers.
Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in timid Beth, a woman living with her parents, bullied by her mother after constantly being told she has no value and is not allowed to finish school; Beth's diminished confidence conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles and maths, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.
But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.
A dual timeline takes place over 1940 - 1947 (events taking place before and after WW2) and yet there is a beautiful depth to the story, dealing not only with the work of those who are sworn to secrecy under the Official Secrets Act 1939 and how ultimately their work is monumental in impacting key events that take place in the war itself, but also about the friendship, love and humour that resounded within the walls of Bletchley Park; a camaraderie amongst those who were isolated from the world due to the nature of the work they were doing and had only each other to lean on. Sunbathing, laughing and dining together as a way to relieve the tension of long days filled with long hours of codebreaking.
This is one of the best works of Historical Fiction I have ever read and one which will no doubt stay with me. A gift that just kept on giving. After finishing the book, I wanted to dish out a review where I spilled everything; every twist that took me by surprise, every comment that made me laugh, those parts that threatened a tear and moments that touched my heart....but I really can't because I want every reader who reads this to experience the euphoria I am now...this book just has it all! The Rose Code is one of those books which makes the reader feel like they've achieved a great feat when they get to the end of it- but no. Kate Quinn is a mastermind, worthy of all accolades and deserves a huge congratulations for being such an incredible author and for writing this formidable masterpiece; the pure intelligence, emotion and daring in the plot needs it's own separate review before we even get on to the strength of the writing itself. I cannot recommend The Rose Code enough!
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Sexual assault, and War
megritchey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: War, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Sexual assault, and Death
Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Racial slurs
Minor: Abortion, Excrement, Antisemitism, Genocide, Blood, Suicide, and Pregnancy
jencolumb0's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Confinement, Abandonment, Cancer, Classism, Child death, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, and Bullying
Moderate: Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Torture, Terminal illness, Racism, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, and Infidelity
Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abortion
The racism and islamophobia are challenged to a degree. There is also a favorable depiction of an open marriage where criticism thereof is challenged.sh543's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: War, Gun violence, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Child death, Xenophobia, Blood, Chronic illness, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Hate crime, and Racism
julia_treat99's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Grief, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Blood, Cancer, Genocide, Racial slurs, and War
fifteenthjessica's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
World War II is in full swing, and decrypting German and Italian messages may be the difference between victory and defeat. Bletchley Park becomes a center of British Intelligence activity, and with many men at war, women are among the people brought in to help. Three of the women--Osla Kendall, a witty socialite who aspires to be seen as more than a ditzy debutante; Mab Churt, a jaded young woman from the poor side of London determined to make a better life for herself; and Beth Finch, a spinster near Bletchley Park who after years of bullying from her mother thinks she's not good for much else other than household help and solving crossword puzzles--form a strong friendship that breaks before the end of the war. A few years later, as the world prepares to watch Osla's war time beau Philip marry Princess Elizabeth, Osla and Mab receive coded letters from Beth saying that there was a traitor at Bletchley Park who was behind her commitment to an insane asylum, and she needs their help get out and catch them.
The novel is overall excellent, most of the characters are lovable (although the traitor felt very two-dimensional), and Quinn shows skill with the genres she blends for this. As someone who isn't that big on romance, I did find myself rooting for most of the couples, even to a certain extent Philip and Osla's doomed romance, however, it would have been nicer if there was more code breaking and mystery worked in. At times, Bletchley Park feels like it's only present in the novel to put higher stakes into the 1947 portion. Another thing is that Quinn paints a great portrait of how, even in relatively egalitarian places like Bletchley Park, misogyny still rears its ugly head.
I was initially going to give it 5 stars, but looking back over my notes, I remembered some pacing issues. At times the narrative switching between the war years and the madcap hunt for the traitor before Philip and Elizabeth's wedding (as well as between the three main characters' POV) was well done, other times it was questionable. Probably the worst incident of this is Beth coming to a (false) conclusion of who the traitor is, only for the very next chapter to reveal the traitor's real identity when they literally show up and tell her. Not to mention, chapter 3 gave such a strong portrait of Mab and Osla's characters that Chapters 1 and 2 seemed extraneous except for bring up some important relationships they have with people outside of Bletchley Park.
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Confinement
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, War, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Medical content, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Alcohol, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Blood, Chronic illness, Genocide, and Racism
czfries's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, War, Blood, and Gore
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content