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rachelevelyn's review
2.75
This book looked really good but I didn’t like it much. The characters felt quite flat and I found all the relationships quite hard to navigate.
motherofladybirds's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. So many twists, so moving in it's treatment of disability and poverty. The characters are really memorable, you feel like you might bump into them and ask them how they are doing now.
teabooksandbreathe's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rinsola's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mrpitmansgranddaughter's review against another edition
4.0
This book was not what I expected at all. I had seen some positive reviews but hadn’t really read them to avoid spoilers. This meant that when I got to pick the book up all I knew was the blurb. I am split as to if this was a good thing or not.
Firstly the event that takes place in this book is traumatic and through brilliant writing, it can be difficult to read. I also read it at a time of increased anxiety (thanks lockdown three) so found that it wasn’t the right read for settling down to sleep. However, I do think it means that this book makes you feel and that is a tick in the box for me.
The characters are carefully crafted. They are confusing, difficult, thoughtful, frustrating, and authentic. The connection to real-life events of this book brings back the harsh reality that this work of fiction depicts moments of real tragedy which makes this that much harder to read and comprehend. I have seen some criticism that this book is slow to the point of the incident and while I would agree, we don’t just jump to the event, that is the exact purpose of the book. It isn’t meant to be a page-turning piece of fiction, I believe it is meant to be thoughtful and deep, which requires the level of characterisation that is covered.
There were lots of themes running through; immigration, racism, sexism, poverty, mental health, learning disabilities and abuse. I think Goldie covered this well, I feel the point of the book is the loss and damage to possessions, life, relationships, and the rebuilding on these things. Sadly, it is reality, in a book of diverse characters themes like this exist. In the same way, you could pick a random handful of people from the centre of a town, these things may touch and integrate into their lives as well. So for that, I didn’t feel that the book needed to make a point on each of these things. It was for the reader to decipher how this changes decisions, relationships, and actions.
This book is a solid 4 stars, well written, well characterised, and well-paced. I feel at peace with this book, which is often a rare feeling for me… what I don’t feel at peace with is that people who have faced similar devastating tragedies still have to fight so hard for answers, support, and a way forward.
Firstly the event that takes place in this book is traumatic and through brilliant writing, it can be difficult to read. I also read it at a time of increased anxiety (thanks lockdown three) so found that it wasn’t the right read for settling down to sleep. However, I do think it means that this book makes you feel and that is a tick in the box for me.
The characters are carefully crafted. They are confusing, difficult, thoughtful, frustrating, and authentic. The connection to real-life events of this book brings back the harsh reality that this work of fiction depicts moments of real tragedy which makes this that much harder to read and comprehend. I have seen some criticism that this book is slow to the point of the incident and while I would agree, we don’t just jump to the event, that is the exact purpose of the book. It isn’t meant to be a page-turning piece of fiction, I believe it is meant to be thoughtful and deep, which requires the level of characterisation that is covered.
There were lots of themes running through; immigration, racism, sexism, poverty, mental health, learning disabilities and abuse. I think Goldie covered this well, I feel the point of the book is the loss and damage to possessions, life, relationships, and the rebuilding on these things. Sadly, it is reality, in a book of diverse characters themes like this exist. In the same way, you could pick a random handful of people from the centre of a town, these things may touch and integrate into their lives as well. So for that, I didn’t feel that the book needed to make a point on each of these things. It was for the reader to decipher how this changes decisions, relationships, and actions.
This book is a solid 4 stars, well written, well characterised, and well-paced. I feel at peace with this book, which is often a rare feeling for me… what I don’t feel at peace with is that people who have faced similar devastating tragedies still have to fight so hard for answers, support, and a way forward.
rebuiltbybooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
essjay1's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. A good cast of characters, loosely held together by the tragedy.
brittknitsokc's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie because it was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020. The book is about the residents of Nightingale Point, an estate block in London that is destroyed in a horrific accident. Each chapter follows one of the main characters — a teenage girl who loves running and has a bad relationship with her father, a man with a learning disability who has just started living on his own, a student and his brother who are struggling to keep their heads above water after their mother’s death, and their neighbor who looks after them — before, during, and after the accident. This story is about what it means to be family and explores the intricacies of trauma. Each chapter was completely immersive and flowed well into the next; the changing points of view weren’t startling at all. I loved that all of the characters were different in that they had completely different backgrounds and struggles but were also integral to the community. Even the side characters were interesting and I was a little disappointed not to hear more of their stories, especially the woman with the plastic flowers and the woman who was dressed up and taking her child out. At first, I thought the book was about the Grenfell Tower fire; it wasn’t, but Goldie included a note at the end about Grenfell and an accident in Amsterdam in 1992 and how the residents of those disasters are still awaiting answers. I look forward to reading more of Luan Goldie’s writing.
alipals's review against another edition
4.0
Focused on the aftermath of a tragedy and following the lives of several characters, this was a compelling read. The characters were depicted so well that even with their flaws, you're drawn in to their stories. The author gives a sense of the challenges (PTSD, lack of support, intrusive media etc) the survivors face as they try to rebuild their lives - inevitably, evoking memories of Grenfell and the long term effects on the survivors.
nina_reads_books's review against another edition
4.0
This is Luan Goldie’s debut novel and wow I loved this book a lot! I read it over two sittings and couldn’t put it down.
“On an ordinary Saturday morning in 1996, the residents of Nightingale Point wake up to their normal lives and worries . . . It's a day like any other, until something extraordinary happens.” .
The novel follows several residents of a fairly rundown high rise London estate – Mary, Malachi, Tristan, Pamela and Elvis. The story slowly builds over the morning until the event that changes everything happens. I won’t say what this event is as quite honestly if you are going to read this you need the surprise – and you will be surprised!
I loved how the book was split into parts: Before, After, Ten Days Later, One Month Later, Three Months Later, Six Months Later, and Five Years Later. The “event” is characterised so centrally this makes sense. We hear from each of the characters in turn about their perspectives of the Saturday. There is hope and despair as they struggle to recover.
Nightingale Point explores racism, the strength of community and friendship and how people move on from grief and loss. It was moving and heartbreaking and I was fully invested in all of the characters.
Reviews on Goodreads are mixed but I really enjoyed it - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“On an ordinary Saturday morning in 1996, the residents of Nightingale Point wake up to their normal lives and worries . . . It's a day like any other, until something extraordinary happens.” .
The novel follows several residents of a fairly rundown high rise London estate – Mary, Malachi, Tristan, Pamela and Elvis. The story slowly builds over the morning until the event that changes everything happens. I won’t say what this event is as quite honestly if you are going to read this you need the surprise – and you will be surprised!
I loved how the book was split into parts: Before, After, Ten Days Later, One Month Later, Three Months Later, Six Months Later, and Five Years Later. The “event” is characterised so centrally this makes sense. We hear from each of the characters in turn about their perspectives of the Saturday. There is hope and despair as they struggle to recover.
Nightingale Point explores racism, the strength of community and friendship and how people move on from grief and loss. It was moving and heartbreaking and I was fully invested in all of the characters.
Reviews on Goodreads are mixed but I really enjoyed it - ⭐⭐⭐⭐