Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

41 reviews

bookswithlauren's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Child death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Police brutality, Sexism, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Gore, Child abuse, Excrement, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, Grief, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Trafficking, Violence, Body shaming, and War

thefooddater's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

A beautifully written story that I could not put down. Its a tale about sisterhood, especially in the face of extreme female oppression. The story also weaves in a bit of Afghan history. I've known about the Taliban through only news reports, but reading about how the rich culture and history has been destroyed by religious extremists and years of colonialism was eye opening.
Despite the dark topics, the ending is hopeful and shows the resilience of Afghans.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Police brutality, Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Death of parent, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Gore, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Murder, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Classism, Genocide, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, and War

The book takes place between the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to the early 2000's liberation of the country of the Taliban. There are also graphic scenes/depictions of sexual assault.

roasted_bean's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Domestic abuse, Torture, Genocide, Murder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Death, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings

reading_historical_romance's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Excrement, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, War, Death of parent, Torture, Violence, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Death, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Gun violence

vii_412's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, War, Violence, Suicide, Genocide, Sexism, Grief, Blood, Physical abuse, Murder, Confinement, Child death, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Death

gabriella_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

i had to leave the room i was in to cry while reading this. idk if this is controversial but in some ways i preferred this over the kite runner. i think there are problematic elements in the book but it still has a captivating prose and poetic flow that is easy to get lost in

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Torture, Confinement, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Murder, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, War, Abandonment, Child death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racism, Violence, Vomit, and Cursing

kiwichill's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

A historical drama which follows the lives of two women over decades, with a background of conflicts and wars in Afghanistan 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Death, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood, Body horror, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Body shaming, Racial slurs, Grief, Infertility, Rape, War, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Pregnancy, and Gore

Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual content, Abandonment, Infidelity, Cursing, Gun violence, Murder, Hate crime, Police brutality, Self harm, and Sexism

alinatariq's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

Shattered my heart in the most emotional way over and over again 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Classism, Death, Infertility, Torture, Sexual harassment, Genocide, Violence, Cancer, Infidelity, Murder, Rape, Racism, Blood, Sexual assault, Suicide, Sexual violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Colonisation, and Racial slurs

rene_reads02's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective tense fast-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

This was one of the best books I read in a while. It shows the horrors of war and what challenges women faced during that time. This book opened my eyes to a lot of the struggles people were dealing with on a daily basis. Some of these happened before I was born & the rest when I was just a kid, but it’s a perspective that I didn’t realize I’d been waiting my whole life to hear. The characters were so inspiring! There were times when my heart wept for them and times when I cheered them on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Genocide, War, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Adult/minor relationship, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Torture, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Body horror, Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Medical content

Minor: Child death, Alcohol, Miscarriage, and Abortion

serenspace's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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: Grief, Genocide, Gore, Pregnancy, War, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Adult/minor relationship

It's not often that I feel completely hopeless for the characters in a book. There is usually some hope of miracles or happy endings. But the majority of this left me feeling defeated for Mariam and Laila, so completely extinguished. The style of writing Hosseini employs is emotionally rich and devastating, keeping me on my toes while also filling me with immovable dread. It encapsulates the fear of a nation torn by war, putting me squarely in the shoes of those left behind. Mariam's ending broke me, such conviction that despite everything, there are things, people, worth fighting for. Laila's ending, far more hopeful and happy yet tainted by gried, avoided the quality of a happy-ever-after by walking through her entire life, showing every part of her. If anybody should be happy, Laila tops the list, followed of course by Tariq, Aziza, Zalmai... A brilliant novel.