A review by random_spider
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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

The Nightingale, a small passerine bird known for its beautiful song, symbolizes creativity, virtue, goodness, and the coming of Spring (Hope.) All I could say is...WHAT A PERFECT BOOK TITLE. Best read of 2024, so far.

------Stat Score------

Plot/Content: 9/10
Characters/POVs: 9/10
Prose/Style: 8/10
Themes/Messages: 10/10
Enjoyability/Impact: 9/10

OVERALL RATING: 9/10 (Amazing)

"Bad things are happening, Madame. Impossible things. I trained to be a soldier, to fight for my country and make my family proud. It was an honorable choice. What will be thought of us upon our return? What will be thought of me?"

Synopsis and/or Premise:
Vianne and Isabelle, sisters who couldn't be more different, found their country (France) surrendering to the Nazis.

Vianne, the lawful older sister, had her husband taken away to be forced as a soldier, leaving her alone to take care of their home and daughter.

Isabelle, the unruly younger sibling, is shooed away by their father...again. She couldn't sit idle during a time of crisis, so she does what she can to put up any petty resistance against their enemy.

The Good and The Bad:
I...I don't know where to start. What a stunning piece of novel. It effortlessly slid within my current Top 5 books. Maybe I'll go talk about the characters first. Vianne and Isabelle? 👌 Undoubtedly Chef's kiss. Both heroines were memorable in action, captivating individuals with believable flaws, and had relationship dynamics (not only between each other) that were full of twists and drama. Though not my personal pick, Vianne went on a considerable character growth. Isabelle, on the other hand, was full of indomitable spirit I couldn't help but be curious as to where her story leads. The side characters were no slack either. Rachel was a tale of tragic, Ari was lovable, Julien was cryptic, Richter was rightfully abhorrent, and Beck — my beautiful Beck, you and your forbidden romance 😭. They were symbolic yet written so realistically, I wanted them to be actual persons of the past.

Speaking of history, this book managed to ace the criteria of what I considered a good Historical Fiction 📜. First one is Faithful Retelling: Refugee Bombings of Tours, Jew treatments by the Nazis, the concept of Billeting, the unforgiving seasons as cruel as the war themselves, etc. Next is Unique Perspectives, provided through the protagonists' POV. This also includes how the writing style allows you be an analytical third-person audience since events and character decisions were so absorptive. Lastly is a damn Good Narrative, accomplished through thematic story about survival, love, dilemmas, sacrifices, government, war, and resistance. What a substance, able to showcase what the genre is fully capable of.

I do have minor problems with the book, which is unfortunate since it could have been my first 10/10 (5⭐) read of the year.

1. Stating the obvious 🙄 - Not gonna lie — this peeved me a bit. They were sentences across the book that I believe could have been better written (or not at all.) Some ideas were already established indirectly (which was exquisite)...but then casually get stated a few moments later. This border 'Telling' territory.

2. Gaëtan 🧔- Hear me out. There's nothing inherently wrong about him. But for having such an integral role for the identity of one of the protagonists, he was painfully bland. Not much backstory than your generic poor guy, and no compelling motive that made him distinct from his resistance peers. He's just there to give Isabelle more depth...and not to be his own character. In short, he felt like a plot device.

Final Thoughts:
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a Historical Fiction novel that have Dystopian and YA qualities. In retrospect, it also felt like reading a saga. It's packed with engrossing elements, from dialogues, monologues, story, relationships, portrayals, and themes. What I appreciated the most was how this book pays homage to all the unsung heroes of France during WW2. Readers were shown the true power of persistence, hope, and defiance towards oppressors. The book kinda reminds me a lot of All The Light We Cannot See (by Anthony Doerr). Both are impeccable pieces of modern literature with related premises. Maybe I should reread that one, how its prose was still uncontested to this day.

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Links to my ratings and reviews:
Goodreads reviews
The StoryGraph