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zoeleea's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Death, and Genocide
dannythestreet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, and War
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Infertility, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Torture
Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs
sankta_aleena'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
5.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, War, Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Murder, Miscarriage, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Excrement, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, Cancer, Blood, and Animal death
Moderate: Abandonment and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, Xenophobia, War, and Child abuse
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Minor: Medical content and Misogyny
bisexual_blasian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Rape, War, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Death of parent, and Child abuse
alizia's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, War, and Violence
224ok'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
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Violence, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Ableism
violet_rose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Hosseini’s prose is elegant and beautiful; his method of storytelling captivated me just as much as his lovingly crafted characters: Amir, the conflicted protagonist; Hassan, the devoted and loving servant; Baba, Amir’s indomitable father.
Explores themes of the horrors of war, sexual assault, racism, classism, terrorism in a skilful and meaningful way. Everybody should read this book.
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Minor: Child death
const_meg'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
backpackingbookworm's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I first studied this book in my English Literature class, learning quotes and dissecting chapters. I watched the film, followed by seeing the show live on Broadway, where I sobbed my heart out from start to finish.
Roughly nine years later, I reread the book as part of my February reading challenge (books set in Afghanistan). The familiar feelings washed over me as I read the first few lines and I couldn't put it down (even though I remembered much of what had happened). The quotes touched my heart as they brought back memories of my English lit days. They made more of an impact on me at 28, to the point where I was very tempted to highlight each one in the book (I refrained because I'm not an animal 😉).
I have read very few authors that write like Hosseini. His research/experience made the story feel harrowingly real and, from what I've read in other reviews, it was a very accurate portrayal. Which makes it even harder to digest. The character development was perfect, even though there was quite a jump from Amir's childhood to adulthood. We knew enough of his character to fill in the gaps though. This book had so many themes, but one I really liked was Amir's arc; he started out as a privileged boy desperate for a close relationship with his father, which made him act cruel and cowardly towards his most loyal friend. I detested Amir's behaviour but also tried to understand that he was just a child who craved his father's love. His actions were unforgivable but we could see that the guilt followed him through to adulthood. Then, Amir has the chance to redeem himself. He finally stood up for what mattered, rather than hiding and letting someone else fight his battles. He still wasn't a character I would say I liked, but I appreciated the complexities and the exploration of his arc.
Hassan on the other hand was one of my absolute favourite characters of all time. His unwavering loyalty and selfless nature made my heart break for him every time others tried to put him down for being a Hazara. One of the reasons this novel is so powerful and emotional is because Hassan lies at the centre. An innocent, optimistic, and brave boy with simple dreams, judged and abused because of his ethnic group. Hassan teaches us many things in The Kite Runner, such as confronting bullies, standing up for what's right, and staying loyal to the people who mean everything to you.
There are so many other things I could say about this book, but I will end by encouraging everyone to read it and see for yourself the impact it will make on your life.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, and Islamophobia