Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

328 reviews

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: Rape, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, War, Miscarriage, Addiction, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Confinement, Deportation, Genocide, Gun violence, Blood, Cancer, Sexual assault, Death, Racism, and Terminal illness

ladybug12793's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Grief, Bullying, Hate crime, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Child death, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Rape, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Murder, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Animal death, Antisemitism, Mental illness, Infertility, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Deportation, Pregnancy, and Sexism

eroseperry's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book made me love reading again. Kristin Hannah’s writing is so intricate and beautiful and I can picture the plot so clearly in my head. I sobbed, everything hurt reading this book but god I wish I could read it for the first time again

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Genocide

Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, War, Police brutality, Rape, and Classism

Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Infertility

victoriarosalesvt's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime and Antisemitism

Moderate: Violence, Rape, Sexual violence, War, and Pregnancy

zealandrc's review against another edition

emotional informative sad tense slow-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? No

3.75

Sad but good

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Rape and Violence

emily_britton's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-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? No

3.75

This is not exactly an enjoyable book.  War is never pleasant.  We know about what happened in WW2, but the day-to-day of the people behind those lines is shocking to be immersed in.  I will say that the twists were good and I got pretty choked up at the end.  But I will enjoy not having Nazis literally occupy my dreams at night any more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Rape, and War

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

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

Minor: Cancer, Vomit, and Homophobia

mcnoble's review against another edition

adventurous 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

5.0

An absolutely heartbreaking but beautiful story of two heroic sisters who, in their own ways, navigate and survive the challenges cast at them during a Nazi-occupied France during WWII. In her writing, Kristin Hannah transports you to Paris, the mountains, the countryside, and to the hidden places in between where survivors gather. She shares how there is not one way to be a hero, to be a friend, or to be a sister. This book was tense but well-paced, and, as one can imagine, an absolute tear jerker at times. Thank you to the wonderfully brave women who silently carry the world during war and thank you Kristin for sharing their stories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Xenophobia, Murder, War, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Gun violence, Death, and Genocide

Moderate: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Rape, and Alcoholism

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