Review: What Rose Forgot

What Rose Forgot by Nevada Barr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. I work in the medical field and have seen people with cognitive problems. This character is interesting in that she is presented as suddenly awakening in a dementia unit, where she has just tried to escape after being on a lockdown ward. She doesn’t recall much of the prior month’s events. She has been bed bound and lost muscle mass but somehow within days is able to perform physical moves most people half her age couldn’t do when healthy. I adored her relationship with her granddaughter but much of the story just seemed to struggle to get to the point. I wasn’t enjoying how convoluted the other family character relationships were and the need for this.
I also agree completely with a comment another reviewer had pointed out about the body shaming that seems to be a repetitive feature from Barr. I would say that she is negative about both super slim and heavy body types but then by attributing the super powers to the protagonist, she basically gives the power to the “scrawny” and “emaciated”. As a medical person, I would argue that it isn’t even likely that an athlete at this age who was bed bound for a month would be capable of the things she was able to do. But the degrading comments about the diet soda drinking nurse being heavy were not necessary for any character point or atmosphere.
Overall, I thought this was an okay read and might try the author again.
#WhatRoseForgot #Netgalley #StMartinsPress

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