Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

391 reviews

fablemoss2424's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I just finished the book and can’t quite articulate all the thoughts in my head about it. Vianne and Isabelle are wonderfully written, vivid, flawed, beautiful characters and following their two very different paths through surviving WW2 in occupied France was tense and intriguing, but also heartbreaking. Excellent character development, even for background characters. I thought the beginning was too slow, and some scenes seemed extraneous or sort of randomly slotted in amidst the greater plots, but on the whole, I do think the scenes helped develop Isabelle and Vianne. The Nightingale thing was interesting (though if their last name means Nightingale and the Nazis speak French, I wonder that they didn’t make the connection but needs must for plot), and I liked how vivid Carriveau and Paris felt. The ending destroyed me, even if it felt really rushed compared to the rest of the book. Like we built up to the end of the war and then sort of sped run through it in about 60-70 pages which, for a 500+ page book, was a bit annoying. 

This isn’t a higher star rating for me because I could put it down and walk away instead of having to keep reading to find out what happened next (plus pacing issues, some plot point grievances especially with the ending) but I think that’s a good thing given the nature of the book. At times, especially the last maybe 150 pages, it got pretty brutal. The book doesn’t shy away from the horrors the Nazis committed during the war, and the ending made me ugly cry because it was just so…sad, and bittersweet,  do also rage-inducing *SPOILERS* because Isabelle’s ending and Ari’s story and being taken away, while realistic, made me so freaking angry *SPOILERS*

A really good book, and one I do recommend if you like her writing and WW2 historical fiction, but keep in mind that, like I said above, the book doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war. Especially at the end when the story really picks up steam without enough time to really explore it all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Antisemitism, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Rape, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

becg's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Grief, Murder, and War

rorlav22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-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: Death and War

Moderate: Rape

cmason101's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

uselesspirateraven's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and War

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, and Murder

Minor: Terminal illness, Medical content, Death of parent, and Abandonment

mboutlaw's review against another edition

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

4.75

This book wrecked me. As a mother of two young children especially, it hit HARD. It was triggering to a point of me almost marking it DNF. I used a whole box of tissues and gave myself a headache in the reading of certain scenes. 

However, I kept reading because I felt a need to find closure of this story and I am glad that I did. Truly. Isabelle/Vianne’s story of loss, hope, and unending compassion was life-changing. By this book, I will forever be reminded of the thousands of stories of the small (and yet huge) acts of kindness, love, and rebellion during times where people were forced to look into the very face of evil.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Infertility, and Miscarriage

This is a book about WWII, it will describe war crimes against Jewish people and those suspected of helping them. It describes multiple graphic instances of child death at the hands of Nazis. Would not recommend this book to anyone sensitive to any of these themes and moreover would encourage mothers of small children to avoid this book.

miorinsa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

Powerful, but extremely tough story about two sisters in occupied France. The author uses a delicate hand to tell such a strong and needed tale. I am in awe of her characters and the real women they represented and I am in awe of Kristin’s talent as a writer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, and War

katiebannasch's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, and War

gj1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, and War

Moderate: Child death and Rape

megcat13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Torture, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, War, and Deportation

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy