Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

137 reviews

sariereads's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation

joanamatos's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, and War

Moderate: Sexual violence and Deportation

Minor: Alcoholism

cglauser's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

This book reminded me so much of Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. This heartbreaking time period and the stories that come out of it are haunting and I think Kristin Hannah managed to capture that and imbue a sense of beauty in this story telling amid the horror and atrocity. This book is not easy, but it is beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Sexual assault, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Torture, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

baylee_ab's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Death, and Alcohol

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

missemmacrabtree's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Deportation

rachelsb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

elisa_atkins's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

It’s hard to put into words the emotional journey this book takes you through. It is beautifully written and gives a new perspective to the horrors that happened in ww2. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Torture, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, and Deportation

Minor: Alcoholism, Infertility, and Rape

mcnoble's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? Yes

5.0

An absolutely heartbreaking but beautiful story of two heroic sisters who, in their own ways, navigate and survive the challenges cast at them during a Nazi-occupied France during WWII. In her writing, Kristin Hannah transports you to Paris, the mountains, the countryside, and to the hidden places in between where survivors gather. She shares how there is not one way to be a hero, to be a friend, or to be a sister. This book was tense but well-paced, and, as one can imagine, an absolute tear jerker at times. Thank you to the wonderfully brave women who silently carry the world during war and thank you Kristin for sharing their stories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

livlaughlit's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

2.0

I was intrigued to read this book, as I’d heard practically nothing but rave reviews, but sadly this missed the mark for me.

I thought the writing style was somewhat unsophisticated and repetitive, with Hannah often implying something and then immediately clarifying what she meant, just in case we hadn’t picked up on the nuance. Regardless, the pervasive anachronisms were the real bug-bear for me. On every other page, there was an error that made me roll my eyes (oral antibiotics? A Flemish farmer smoking like a true Frenchman? The flippant mention of concentration camps on official warnings?). This read as Historical Fanfiction, rather than a well-researched piece of Historical Fiction. It was also extremely forgiving of Vichy France’s passing antisemitic legislation independently of Nazi requirements.  

Too often, the characters were reduced to flat stereotypes, and the development of the romantic plots were poorly paced (especially between Isabelle and Gaetan). I was also unconvinced by Isabelle and Vianne’s relationship, which seemed not to develop much at all.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Miscarriage