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meganmalonefranklin's review against another edition
2.25
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Deportation, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Torture, Abandonment, Death of parent, Excrement, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, War, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Homophobia
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
Graphic: War, Miscarriage, and Grief
Moderate: Sexism and Body shaming
Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, and Child abuse
kaileyhanrath's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Hate crime, Genocide, Antisemitism, Death, and War
Moderate: Child death, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexism, Pregnancy, and Torture
mermaidreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Rape, War, Police brutality, Sexism, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Miscarriage, Murder, and Homophobia
kyleighf's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Blood, Xenophobia, and Death
Moderate: Deportation, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Genocide, Alcohol, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Sexual violence
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Homophobia
marybsimp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Torture, Child death, Physical abuse, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Sexism, Confinement, Deportation, Genocide, Misogyny, War, Classism, Grief, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, and Xenophobia
dannythestreet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Deportation, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Sexual harassment, Torture, Abandonment, Antisemitism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, and War
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, Cancer, Excrement, and Suicide
mattiedancer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
- Fans of WWII novels
- Fans of historical fiction
- Fans of Kristin Hannah
- Fans of real-life trauma books or books focusing on horrific moments
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Misogyny, Racism, Antisemitism, Death, Violence, Sexual violence, War, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Rape, Grief, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, and Cancer
Minor: Alcohol, Homophobia, Chronic illness, Addiction, Infertility, and Abandonment
patslibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Gaslighting, Antisemitism, Blood, Colonisation, Confinement, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, and War
Moderate: Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Death, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Homophobia, Vomit, and Excrement
Minor: Animal death, Religious bigotry, and Cancer
pixiebix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Sitting back and reflecting on this book, I am honestly in awe of how much I feel I've actually been through with these characters and the vastness and diversity of the landscapes The Nightingale covers. Looking back on the characters at the beginning of this book--Isabelle especially--is to reflect on a ridiculously huge yet realistic transformation. This book is painfully real and visceral and simple and raw, and the characters literally jumped off the page; absolutely everything I've read about here I feel I have actually experienced firsthand with them.
There are some images and deaths and journeys that I know will stay forever imprinted on my brain from this book--scenes with Beck and Sarah and the Pyrenees mountains; of soldiers and ravaged gardens and bleakness and fear. The Nightingale had me so friggin hooked and my mouth dry and my eyes flying across the pages trying to establish where we stand in the wake of yet another devastating event.
This book is far from flawless (hence the not-5-star rating): Isabelle's beauty, while helping to paint a picture of her character to start with, ultimately receives far too much focus and detracts from her (slash De Jongh's) bravery and status as a war hero; Isabelle's romance is written almost as an afterthought and is provided far too little page space for readers to be given even a chance to become invested in it; pacing is a huge issue, with some super relevent, super built-up parts being cut out completely
Regardless, this book is just so fucking devastating and really, really gets under your skin and taps into your humanity. This is so much more than yet another book about two opposite sisters: it's the very picture of resilience in the face of hardship and an ode to remembering in an age that we're prone to forgetting. I also just adore how multifaceted and layered these characters are, particularly Beck: so many authors fall prey to painting all Nazi officers in a completely villainous light, forgetting how subtly and intentionally things escalated. The words 'I'm just following orders' gave me chills every damn time. So many of those officers were just young men trying just as hard to survive and stay out of trouble as the victims, and Hannah showcases that fact while also showing the other side: the true horror of what some human beings will derive genuine joy from doing; the true perpetrators and power-hungry dictators that do sadly inhabit (and always have inhabited) this world.
The scope this book covered while remaining focused on just two women during the war is truly so impressive, and really forces you to think about the sheer number of voices and stories that have ultimately gone unheard.
Now to wait until the movie adaptation.
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, and War
Minor: Chronic illness