Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

20 reviews

thefooddater's review

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.

sknappy1's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, War, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Sexism, Misogyny, and Police brutality

Moderate: Death, Violence, Infertility, Confinement, Child death, Bullying, Death of parent, Colonisation, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Mental illness

Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, Rape, and Sexual content

reads2cope's review

4.5

Resilient is a word I'm tired of being demanded of those struggling to survive in the "East," but it is the most fitting to describe these characters. It was heartbreaking and infuriating to see each woman hope that after these bombs, peace will finally come, knowing the horrors that befell Afghanistan next. 

The middle of this novel almost had me giving up. Every violence that the Soviet Union, the civil war, the USA was made so real and clear, and then to have such beautiful, complex, wounded women abused by their husband made me want to stop reading. I'm so glad I didn't, the end of this book was everything I'd hoped for, though it still destroyed me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Child death, War, Colonisation, Abandonment, Bullying, Death, Miscarriage, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Classism, Infertility, Rape, Misogyny, Blood, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abortion and Stalking

drybay's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? No

4.5

This felt really important.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Misogyny, Suicide, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Murder, Police brutality, Colonisation, and Miscarriage

Minor: Abortion and Terminal illness

alinatariq's review

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

maajidah's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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? No

5.0

"one last time, Mariam did as she was told" 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Gore, Miscarriage, Rape, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, War, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Torture

evan_tually's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Blood, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

thetearex's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Murder, Suicide, Abandonment, Ableism, Gore, Islamophobia, War, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Grief, Infertility, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gun violence, Rape, and Sexual content

sadiaa's review against another edition

5.0

I read this book when I was a teenager so this is a reread, but it will always be 5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Genocide, War, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, Infertility, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Ableism, Child death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, and Physical abuse

jeanne05's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, War, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, and Colonisation