Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

180 reviews

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: Antisemitism, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Xenophobia, Child death, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Torture, Misogyny, Death, Sexism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Miscarriage

acal92's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Deportation, Sexual assault, Rape, Slavery, Death of parent, War, Death, Torture, and Racism

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

lsaunder0724's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-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

3.75

If you read lots of WWII historical fiction, you may find this to be a tad lacking in comparison to other books of this subject matter. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Deportation, Death, Gun violence, Child death, Antisemitism, and Torture

Moderate: Sexism, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

notschshelby's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Genocide, Alcoholism, Murder, Miscarriage, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Death

lmayfieldx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Antisemitism, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Gun violence, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Deportation, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage, Child death, and Rape

kaylokay_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, War, Death of parent, Genocide, Gun violence, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Ableism, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Grief, Rape, Antisemitism, Biphobia, Child death, Confinement, Death, Deportation, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Cancer

caitlin_hire's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

Moderate: Blood, Grief, and Miscarriage

meaganb914's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Rape, Violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Grief, Torture, Child death, Death of parent, Excrement, Gun violence, Racism, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, War, Deportation, Death, Genocide, and Sexual violence

newdream's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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

4.0

This was very good. I just live this story, but I need some time to process it. Soo good...
Ugh I just love all the characters and it was very hard to watch them go through pain. Isabelle was just so amazing, so brave, it kind of opened my eyes. I love when books teach me something, and this book taught me how hard and ugly war is. How war changes you, how life was and still is so unfair and hard. So emotional and touching, I was on the wdge of my seat. The beginning was a little slow, but I couldn't stop reading it for the majority of time. Last hundred pages were very hard and emotional.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, and Physical abuse