Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

18 reviews

dkamada's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Antisemitism, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Excrement, and Fire/Fire injury

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

tdawgg07's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racism, Antisemitism, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Cancer, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Blood, and Vomit

sierrabowers's review against another edition

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

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

5.0

Wow! I didn’t think I could ever enjoy a historical fiction but this book proved me so wrong! This story about two sisters living through WWII in France was a work of art. The characters felt real and there was several times on the way to and from work where I audibly gasped from what happened in the audiobook. Even if you don’t like historical fiction, I recommend this book!!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

bxnny's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Excrement, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Pregnancy

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Gore, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing

opplecopter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Body horror, Cancer, Miscarriage, Vomit, and Abandonment

Minor: Cursing, Suicide, and Excrement

l4uren_11's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah, tells the interwoven stories of two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, separated by ideals and circumstance. Each embarks on a perilous journey toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France.

My Thoughts:

I have much to praise about this book. I adored the stories of these two sisters, even though they're fictional. They resonated deeply, reminding me that their struggles mirrored those of countless real women during World War II. I often found myself asking, "Would I have shown the same courage in their place?"  

The first half of the book had me hooked. It was paced perfectly, allowing me to truly connect with each character. However, the story, despite its emotional impact, dragged a bit in the middle. I confess I even doubted if I could finish it.

Despite this lull, the dual-POV narration was expertly executed and easy to follow. My main criticism lies in the occasional rushed feeling, which slightly hampered my emotional connection to the story.

But even with these reservations, the book's ending was powerful and moving. Tears streamed down my face as the final pages turned. In the end, I couldn't put it down. I devoured the last few chapters, eager to see how everything unfolded.

While this was my first time into historical fiction, The Nightingale did its job brilliantly. It sparked a desire to delve deeper into this genre, to explore more stories that blend historical truth with fictional narratives. 

Please make sure to read the trigger warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and War

Minor: Alcoholism and Cursing

srosa037's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-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

I loved it from the beginning. It was a sometime sad, and emotional right. I am not usually one to enjoy historical fiction but this one got me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

syd991's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

I read this book for an english class, so I was also analyzing the book.

This book is extraordinary. Although I found some parts a bit slower, the vast majority of this book kept me turning the page. I simply don’t have the words to describe the sadness, beauty, and thoughtful story told in this novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Cancer, Infertility, and Death of parent

Minor: Cursing