Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

376 reviews

inkwellimps's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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? Yes

4.0

The book was technically well written, so I'm giving it a higher star rating compared to how I actually felt reading it. The Nightingale is an exhausting read that I had to really force myself to finish. The horrors pile up, and there is hardly any relief. I read this at a recommendation of a family member, and I don't think I will read another WWII book for a long while. Not my genre, I suppose.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Chronic illness and Death of parent

Starvation/hunger is also a theme of this book.

emmelineg's review against another edition

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

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Child death, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book devastated me. The plot is so intricately woven together, the female protagonists are both incredibly brave and interesting, the historical pieces are flawlessly researched and rendered. I hadn’t considered the war from this many perspectives or through the different scenarios that unfolded in the course of this novel. I wept for the bravery, the sacrifice, and the love that encompassed WW2 and that this novel highlights. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

jules3795's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, and War

Minor: Miscarriage, Rape, Grief, and Death of parent

emk2008's review against another edition

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

5.0

Kristin Hannah grabbed a hold of my emotions from the very beginning and kept me until the beautiful end. Heart wrenching. Beautiful.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Torture, Death of parent, and War

sandro_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I kept putting off The Nightingale despite many recommendations given the WWII subject matter and the 580 page length. Now that I am on the other side, I can see why people praise it but I just did not connect with it in the same way

I found both sisters insufferable for the plodding first half of the book, each one-dimensional in their persona: Vianne the anxiety-ridden mother and Isabelle, the reckless rebel. We are told countless times how beautiful they both are and they seem to fall in love the way that only happens in romance novels (with some truly cringey dialogue). 

The second half picks up the pace as each does their part to rebel against the war and I found the perspective from an occupied France to be a part of history I knew little about.  I appreciate that the book does not shy away from the brutalities of war and the end is beautiful. A mixed bag but worthwhile read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism and War

Moderate: Child death and Rape

allikay14's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Torture, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, and Deportation

greatestheights's review against another edition

dark emotional informative tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

Kristin Hannah unfailingly writes historical fiction that utterly devastates me, and she does it SO well.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Rape, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer

lsaunder0724's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-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? Yes

3.75

If you read lots of WWII historical fiction, you may find this to be a tad lacking in comparison to other books of this subject matter. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

ritapena's review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Antisemitism, and War

Moderate: Child death and Sexual assault