Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Nightingale

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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

301 reviews

geminisoul's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

This books is probably one of the best books I have read this year. The strength that the characters find throughout the story is astounding. The author has done a fantastic job of world and character building. I couldn't help but cry at times while reading.

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charlotterose13x's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

“I know now what matters, and it is not what I have lost, it is my memories.
Wounds heal, love lasts, we remain”

The most heartbreaking, beautiful book I have read in while and my favourite book of 2024 so far.

This story has me fully invested in these women’s lives and their stories. I was moved greatly by their relationship and sisters and their experiences throughout the war.

The way Hannah has written from both women’s perspectives is incredible. Both ladies living different lives but despite all odds brought closer by the outbreak of war in France. Vianne and Isabelle are both equally as strong and inspiring fighting their own battles against the Nazis.

Well worth a read and I will be recommending to all

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benleon97's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

This novel started off really strong for me, but as it progressed I found myself losing interest in the plot. I felt it beginning to drag in the second half and could have done with a few less scenes. Personally Isabelle’s impulsive charm began wearing off and her story was getting repetitive. I was just waiting for her eventual capture at one point. On the other hand Vianne’s parts felt like the writing for her POV suffered, and some of the predicaments she found herself in felt forced to move along the plot. Additionally, the exposition on war facts throughout the novel made the writing suffer but I understand that’s to make a book like this digestible for all readers. That being said, this book does a lot of things well. The contrast of Isabelle’s and Viannes experiences is amazingly done and you really see the horrors women were faced with during war on both sides of the action. Objectively the descriptive writing is good and Kristin Hannah does a great job at setting scenes. Moreover, she’s great at showing reality in this novel through the hard choices and the impossible trials people such as Vianne, the children, and even Beck have to go through during a time of war. Overall, a real eye opening novel that will have you learning a great deal about France and women’s history during ww2 and the important part they played despite the control of men.

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claireeshelby's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

I cannot remember the last time I read a 500+ page book in a matter of hours (and stayed up till 4am to finish). I was completely and entirely hooked. Beautiful, simple, descriptive writing style that brought out each of the characters nuances and understandably complex emotions in war time. I have read a lot of WWII historical fiction, and the way this story was architected resonated with me in a different way than any other. The impending doom that you know is on the horizon, but the incessant hope that you still feel until the very last moment when yet another disastrous Nazi action rips away a life.

I hesitated to give 5 stars because the writing did get a bit repetitive, but it held my attention for nearly 5 hours straight, so clearly something worked!

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ceelo1581's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative 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? Yes

5.0

I am going to need 5 to 7 business days to recover from this book. It was probably one of the best novels that I have ever read. I don’t typically gravitate towards historical fiction; however, this was one that I could not put down. I learned so much about the history of France during World War II. While this was a fictional novel, there was so much that was based on the true stories of people who lived through the atrocities of this time. The characters were incredible, and the storyline kept me intrigued. There were so many twists and turns that I never saw coming. Definitely a must read.

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