Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

168 reviews

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

brookey8888's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Omg was the ending so sad and depressing, but also so inspiring. This was such an interesting and important story, to read about these women who have been forgotten from the war and all that they did. The story or family and friendship and survival was just so beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

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

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

caitlinemccann's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, and Vomit

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

ldod's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Genocide, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War

emmelineg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Child death, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse