Reviews tagging 'War'

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

628 reviews

berkshirebookreader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

A very good book on a hard subject. It was difficult to read at times but quite informative despite it being fiction. It references the war and what happened. Despite the town being fictional. I ended up looking up and googling a few things and learning more. An interesting read and one I recommend especially if you did history like I did at school and remember studying this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Murder, and War

suzecluez's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Antisemitism

julierosem's review against another edition

The writing was just not good. It was a good concept with poor execution. War books are distressing and there’s no need to read a poorly executed one. Everyone said they sobbed their eyes out at the end in reviews, and I don’t that kind of ending after reading a mediocre book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and War

Moderate: Miscarriage

darianreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring sad fast-paced

• 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Trafficking, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Rape, and Blood

iamlaura's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Torture, Grief, and War

b00kishnurse's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

raquellecollins's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Genocide, Infertility, Rape, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

estimpert's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Outing, War, and Deportation

kwynters's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Minor: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

madisonrose1519's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

It has been so, so long since I have been as captivated by a book as I was by The Nightingale.

I have been WAITING for that ravenous, all-consuming feeling of not being able to put a book down for years. I started it on a Saturday night and had finished all 564 pages before bed on Sunday! The last time I was even remotely as absorbed in a book was while reading The Silent Patient.

The Nightingale follows a regular flaw-filled French family from the rumblings of a potential German invasion of France through the release of the innocent people held in concentration camps. The familial love, hate, and idiosyncrasies—and the friendships and love affairs mixed in—are engaging and relatable. The courage, cunning, and athleticism of Isabelle and the strength and development of Vianne are enthralling. 

The only reason I had to deduct a quarter star from my rating is because I felt like the ending tied things up in a bit too neat a bow. How can you write an entire 500 page novel evoking such visceral reactions to the gruesome suffering  and risky sacrifices people were actually enduring during this time period, and then have as satisfying an ending as this book did? I know it’s historical fiction, but the last 40 or so pages didn’t sit right with me, despite how much I enjoyed them. 

Grab your tissues, make sure you don’t have anywhere to be for the next 24-48 hours, and buckle up. The empathy this story stirs up is going rattle you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism