Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

66 reviews

jemmathompson's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad

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

5.0

Amazing book, studied it for A level, absolutely adore Hosseini’s writing style. But fair warning, this book can be very graphic and content-heavy at times, will most likely make you cry. Make sure to check any trigger warnings before you decide to read, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants an authentic insight into life in Afghanistan both before and after their conflicts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Vomit, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Rape, War, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexism, Racism, Medical content, Death of parent, Bullying, and Sexual assault

bookswithgeorgia'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Trafficking, Violence, War, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Torture, Genocide, Murder, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Slavery, Terminal illness, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

lindasoderlundd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Child abuse, Infertility, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, War, Murder, and Rape

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Misogyny

zezeki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, War, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, and Infertility

myriam7's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Blood, Cancer, Death of parent, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death, Rape, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and War

imaginefishes's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

5.0

I was originally skeptical of starting this book due to its length and what I believed to be touching on heavy topics, and the start of the book was somewhat slow to get through because of that. However, as the story progressed, I found I couldn't help but be drawn more and more to the book, and I genuinely could not stop thinking about it. The book is deliciously tightly woven together, where certain things certain characters say make an appearance throughout the book much like they sometimes would in our memories and lives, and the author touches on so many social issues pertaining to the context of Afghanistan, which, many of which remain unsolved and continue to be perpetuated today, especially with the recent insurgence of the Taliban. I find this book to be as relevant now as it was nearly 20 years ago, and the way the plot points and how each character is written is truly marvelous and leaves such a lasting imprint on your memory.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual violence, Violence, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Rape, and War

Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Self harm, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Body horror, Ableism, Gun violence, and Murder

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Terminal illness, and Slavery

The plot points on

paedophilia and rape

were quite shocking, especially initially, and it is truly horrifying to realise these are real things that happen to real people, real children in Afghanistan (and the rest of the world), and the violence and ideology held by Assef which eventually led him to

become one of the leaders of the Taliban and partake in an ethnic cleansing of his own

was really quite vile and again, extremely shocking when it happened.

Luckily, not all hope is lost, and he manages to get some sort of payback, however little.

However, what I have to say is I really did not enjoy the company of the main character - while it is understandable he did what he did, I found it enraging how

Hassan was always the one to come to his rescue, even in death, via Sohrab and his use of the slingshot, though it does make sense in the context of the book and his societal standing.

The book is rife with tragedy, but that small sliver of hope by the ending managed to bring it back a little, thankfully, and

somewhat redeem Amir from the demon he once thought he was

.

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

sad medium-paced

5.0

One of the saddest books I have ever read, but also one of the most beautiful. I truly believe that everyone should read this once in their life (remember to check trigger warnings though!)
The Kite Runner follows Amir, a privileged Afghan boy growing up right before the Russian Invasion. The story spans both adolescence and adulthood, as well as in Afghanistan and the United States, revolving around the themes of friendship, love, guilt, and amendments. It’s been a while since a book made me think about my own life so deeply and care for characters like they are dear friends.
Besides the moving plot line and character development, I think the writing was my favorite part. The prose was incredibly stunning, which is always a happy bonus when I read:)
Overall, I will always recommend The Kite Runner, so pick it up if you are interested!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, War, Grief, Pedophilia, Infertility, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Classism

Moderate: Miscarriage, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

lorriss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Suicide

lukuperhonen's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative 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? Yes

5.0

I enjoyed reading this book, especially since the events of the book became relevant in 2021 again. I loved some of the characters, but enjoyed exploring their flaws as well.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness, Violence, and Sexual assault

leahrosiee's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Rape, Trafficking, Blood, Medical content, Miscarriage, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Cancer, Child abuse, Islamophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and War

Moderate: Infertility

Minor: Pregnancy, Child death, and Infidelity