36.6k reviews for:

The Nightingale

Kristin Hannah

4.57 AVERAGE


Yeah I did not expect to like this as much as I did. I was actually obsessed and devoured this...
emotional 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: Yes
challenging emotional inspiring sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Sort of slow in the first half, but it is all WORTH the build in the end. It’s a tragic, beautiful, difficult, real story. Must read. 
emotional medium-paced
adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Took me a little while to get into but then was hooked. Great characters and compelling story. 

As I sit here crying, trying to gather my thoughts, I’m going to attempt to review this book (but calling it simply a book feels like a disservice)

I don’t tend to read much historical fiction, as retelling history is my day job, but also I think I avoid it because it makes me feel too much. Case in point, I’m sobbing at 11:00 pm about fictional people but terribly real events.

I didn’t expect anything in this book, from one page to the next, chapter to the next, I was shocked, devastated, heartbroken, as characters I came to know and love were put through hell. I was at the edge of my seat as Isabelle became the Nightingale, my nerves were wracked as Vianne did what she had to to survive. I cried as countless people lost their lives because of a useless war. And although the main characters are concepts in Kristen Hannah’s brain, the sheer amount of individuals and families that were killed, who survived to rebuild, and were irrevocably changed by this war makes me feel so much.

The writing was beautiful, the tension palpable, this was a masterpiece of pain, beauty, bravery, strength and everything else in between.
dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
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: No
adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective sad 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: Complicated