Reviews with content warning for Blood - The Kite Runner

Read #2: 2023
I reread this book for school and my previous rating of 4 stars still stands but I think I have some more insight I didn’t have before. If I had to describe this book in one word it would be heartbreaking. All the characters have so much undiscussed trauma and they all cope with it differently. The writing is very hard and the trauma representation feels very realistic. I still think Amir was a selfish character, but by the end I think he is on the path to start redeeming himself. I highly recommend this book both please do know that there are many many trigger warnings that need to come with it.

So I gave this book a 4 stars. And let me tell you why. First off the positives: The writing is incredible. The descriptions are so well written and so easy to imagine. The characters are written with positives and negatives making it hard to love and hate them. Now the negatives: The way the main character, Amir, acts is absolutely horrible. He has a bigger the life ego and always wants things to go his way. The way he treats his friend and then goes to save this friend’s kid is so wrong. His redemption journey is selfish as he is doing it to clear HIS conscious. He always gets himself in trouble that his friend, Hassan, or Hassan’s child, Sohrab, has to get him out of. I also didn’t cry most likely due to the fact that I couldn’t get over what Amir did no matter what he tried to do. It was still a good book nonetheless.

Content Warnings

beatriceku's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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

this book is many things. a waste of time is not one of them. the story is an overwhelming and heart wrenching tale, one that i feel is relatable, but other-worldly at the same time. you’ve heard it said before, but this is truly one important book. does anything ‘good’ necessarily happen in this novel! i would probably argue not. but it is filled with complexity and layers of human emotion that are unreachable in your typical YA novels and arguably, the most renowned classics. it speaks to the immigrant experience, the heartbreak of war, guilt, shame, class, and so many more in a gripping, nuanced, and eloquent manner. not only so, but is a riveting read, with twists and a fair share of devastating turns. all in all, although the term is cliche - it is an important read. to not only understand the history of Afghanistan, and the story of Amir, but also as a guide in how to navigate our own burdens and deepest shames.

Content Warnings

pinkfawn's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative 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

This book broke me a thousand times over. Just when I thought nothing could be more devastating, I was wrong.

This is a book I think everyone should read, but I don't want to recommend it to anyone because of how emotionally shattering this book is. I don't really have a lot of words, I don't know how to process everything in this book or how to go on without knowing more past the ending.

This was my first book by Khaled Hosseini and it will not be my last-- though I think I may need something a little more lighthearted after this book. 5 Stars because I sobbed through the entire thing and that's not something easy thing for a book to do to me.

Content Warnings

vodkagayy__'s review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.5

Content Warnings

nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.75

Content Warnings

aguattery's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I didn't actually cry but my goodness was I close to it.

Content Warnings

ashley_1206's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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? It's complicated

4.0

4⭐️

i actually liked this book because of how deep it was and the amount of significance it held. if you’re going to read this or are forced to read this for school please prepare yourself because a lot of the time a lot of traumatic and triggering things happen. but i did enjoy this book more than i enjoyed my other required readings for school.

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