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nicole_g_'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: Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Murder, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, War, Child death, Addiction, Cancer, Confinement, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
shibaunited's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment, Vomit, Trafficking, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Infidelity, Infertility, Gun violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Chronic illness, Child death, and Cancer
mel_s_bookshelf's review against another edition
- 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? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and War
bbellabeee'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Infertility, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Antisemitism, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Cancer, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, and War
joelleen'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: Physical abuse, Death, Confinement, Blood, Antisemitism, Rape, War, Sexual violence, Racism, Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, Infertility, Hate crime, Grief, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Genocide, Murder, and Gun violence
unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: War, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Torture, Death, Confinement, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Child death, and Child abuse
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
mandi4886'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Infertility, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racism, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Vomit
graciejames121'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
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and War
katie_noelani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, War, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Infertility, Hate crime, Gun violence, Genocide, Death, Child death, Cancer, Antisemitism, and Alcoholism