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seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Cursing
sagelikesscats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Death, Rape, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Racial slurs, Torture, and Classism
Minor: Antisemitism
sadiaa's review against another edition
4.75
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
afroheaux's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
One thing I love about Hosseini's books is how honest he is about trauma and how it manifests in your life. The pain is so palpable that sometimes I had to put the book down, overwhelmed by the amount of emotion being threaded into the page. It carries a weight in your heart that's not easily dislodged. The choices that Amir makes throughout the book will leave you aggravated.
The poison does drip through and affects its victims in different ways. The relationship at the heart of the book, Amir & Hassan, is such a beautiful portrayal of love between men in a platonic way that surpasses what is traditionally allowed in American contexts and it's incredible to watch. Hosseini does a wonderful job of transporting you into the streets of Afghanistan prior to the revolution that kicked off a series of war crimes and misfortunes that tore apart a country with a rich history and culture. He gives humanity to a section of the world that many have cast aside as filled with murderous religious extremists which is an ignorant oversimplification and bigoted statement. Reading his works have made me interested in the history of the region at that time and why the Middle East turned into a battleground for Western interests.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Classism
dawneelisabeth's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, War, and Classism
amabel_xo's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence and Xenophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Classism
mirandyli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I will say, however, that there is a reason that thousands of people have raved about this book. Khaled Hosseini writes gorgeously. I loved this book and his other books as well.
Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Classism
mitchell_1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, and Classism
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infertility, Rape, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Torture, and Antisemitism
bigteo's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
However, the last arc was a bit of a slog for me personally due to how depressing it was. Keep in mind I read the last half of the book in a single sitting tho.
I actually did like how the protagonist was unlikeable because it’s not something I often see in books. The outrage at some of his actions means I was emotionally invested (even if it was through anger) with what the character would do next.
But yeah would recommend it tbh just check trigger warnings because it gets very dark and heavy at parts.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy