Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

85 reviews

baearles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Murder, and Deportation

Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

matildaesandell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.75

I adored this book. This was a beautiful book about love, survival and heroism during the war. If you love a book about sisters, and about love then this is the book for you. I highlighted so many beautiful quotes about love such as “love is the beginning and the end, it is the foundation and the ceiling and everything in between”. 

The end of this book was perfect in every way, and I don’t often say that. I also like how the mystery of who is narrating keeps you hooked until the end. 

I think upon a reread this book could become a 5-star read for me. It fell short by just a smidge because I felt a bit lost and bored for the first maybe 30% of the book. However, now knowing the characters and loving the characters the way that I do I think I would have the patience and appreciation for it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, and War

Moderate: Sexual violence and Slavery

goodyeargoodbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

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

rly's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Violence, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, and Xenophobia

ladybug12793's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Deportation

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

xandrav's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book devastated me. The plot is so intricately woven together, the female protagonists are both incredibly brave and interesting, the historical pieces are flawlessly researched and rendered. I hadn’t considered the war from this many perspectives or through the different scenarios that unfolded in the course of this novel. I wept for the bravery, the sacrifice, and the love that encompassed WW2 and that this novel highlights. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism