Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

301 reviews

trinloyd's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative 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? Yes

5.0

An incredibly emotional and moving story of war and the women behind the scenes. Truly breathtaking, gut-wrenching, and heart-shattering. My heart broke over and over and over through out this book for all the ways these characters experienced life and love and loss, all through the lens of WW2. While these characters may be fictional, the backdrop they were set against very much was not fictional. These things may not have truly happened to these fictional women, but they happened to other, very real women. That’s what made this book so truly emotional and moving for me. It was a new look at WW2 that I hadn’t seen before and I am changed because of it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Rape

lilbuthod's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence

tetedump's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, War, and Deportation

jjhazen's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and War

turtlekat23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

From time to time, you find a book that sucks you in and lingers with you long after you’ve read it. This book is absolutely one of those. It likely would have been shuffled through my eternally long TBR but I asked for recommendations from friends for my reading goal this year and am prioritizing those. I am so thankful this was one of those recommendations. I learned a lot about the French during WWII but the story and characters truly made it come to life. The story is heartbreaking and inspiring. It shows the horrors of World War II from multiple perspectives, including concentration camps, yet the shining light of hope and the indomitable spirit of the women in this book. It is painful, and sad, but so incredibly beautiful and loving. I will think of this book often

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Confinement, Miscarriage, Torture, and Deportation

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Pregnancy

jnschmitt's review against another edition

emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Deportation

paigecrichards's review against another edition

adventurous 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Genocide, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Deportation

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

felicityjoy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide

Moderate: Sexual assault

davis_evans's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I really enjoyed this book on Audible. With so many French and German name, towns, and words it was helpful to have the pronunciation to keep track of everything. 
Great story. Well written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War