Scan barcode
popcornreading's review
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Grief, Genocide, and War
just_one_more_paige's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Child death, Gun violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Islamophobia, Murder, War, Body shaming, Death, Grief, and Torture
Moderate: Rape, Classism, and Fire/Fire injury
jayisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: War, Death, Murder, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Islamophobia
Minor: Rape
savvylit's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
These stories became even more poignant for me after reading the author's biography. Jamil Jan Kochai's family is from Logar. He was born at a refugee camp in Pakistan before immigrating to the United States. This reality of Kochai's clearly shapes this collection and ultimately allowed him to create a fictional world full of empathy and perseverance.
Graphic: War, Violence, Murder, Gun violence, Grief, and Death
serendipitysbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Child death and War
districtreads's review
2.0
Graphic: Child death, Violence, and War
eslsilver's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Violence, War, and Murder
Moderate: Islamophobia
Minor: Rape
deedireads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Haunting of Hajji Hotak is a fantastic collection featuring characters either from or in Afghanistan. I found it both wrenching and full of heart.
For you if: You like great short stories and/or want to read more Afghan-American literature.
FULL REVIEW:
The Haunting of Haaji Hotak is a finalist for this year’s National Book Award, and after reading it, I’m not surprised. It’s a masterful collection, equally wrenching and full of heart. I liked it a lot and am glad I read it.
Each of the stories in this collection focuses on characters who are either living in Afghanistan (usually the province of Logar), or else Afghan / Afghan Americans living in California. Some of them are loosely connected, orbiting around a man who built a life in California before an injury led to a workers’ compensation battle and financial hardship. Many of the stories also have different formats, which gave the collection overall more texture and helped each story stand out.
As he explores the ideas of survival, family, home, and the generational trauma of war, Kochai engages with the war on terror but purposefully calls attention to stereotypes by refusing to either refute or acknowledge them at all — his characters simply be, their stories simply are.
Kochai’s writing pulses with life, and there were a lot of stories here that really impressed me. The first one and the last one are especially noteworthy, as other reviewers have said, but I also really loved “Enough.” I actually listened to that one on audio while out for a run, and as soon as I finished it, I rewound and started it over from the beginning. Gutting.
If you’re a short stories person, this one is worth picking up.
Graphic: Islamophobia, Child death, and War
Moderate: Kidnapping
goldenjunegem's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Murder, War, and Violence
Moderate: Pedophilia
onewoman_bookclub's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Islamophobia, and War