Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

72 reviews

shruti_207's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, Abortion, and War

strangequark's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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? No

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual content and Suicide

random19379's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Vomit and Abortion

katrinarose's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have struggled to rate this book. I didn’t enjoy it, but I did fly through it. The writing style is beautiful and emotional but not overly flowery. My biggest complaint is that the characters were a bit black and white - either painted as a monster or perfect. I appreciate depth and complexity even in the most vile characters. In lacking this, most actions the characters took were a bit predictable.

I did cry while reading this book, but I was almost angry at the fact. Hosseini is praised for how raw he displays the suffering of generations of people in Afghanistan, especially women, but combined with the lack of real character depth, it feels like trauma porn for a western audience. I go back and forth on this opinion because their suffering deserves to be told in all the horror it was, but I can’t decide (and in the end it’s not up for me to decide) whether it’s honoring them or exploiting them.

So I didn’t enjoy it due to the immense pain I felt for the Mariam and Laila (and all the other women who suffered), however I couldn’t put it down either. A 3.5 it is.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Gaslighting

keiwald's review against another edition

inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Cursing and Abortion

Very intense book about a lot of violence and war in Afghanistan. Can get detailed about

bombings, violence, and rape

audc's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? No

4.75

Would give it 5 stars but I don’t think I ever plan on reading it any time soon. BUT, I would DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY, recommend it and have and my friend loved it. 

Of the top of my head:
So many emotions! I can’t believe Mariam’s character development!!! Following these TWO STRONG WOMEN from childhood! 

It’s triggering, but it’s probably nothing close to the reality. This book needed to be written. The writing is just so flavorful and precise; I couldn’t stop underlining!!! 

It drags at some points, but it’ everytime it’s so worth it! 

I really appreciate that this book is not westernized and that throughout there’s that single thread of Afghanistan. 
I appreciate that though the story is set during the larger picture of the Taliban and political insecurity, famine, social upheaval the book focuses on these women and the smallest details of their lives. Rippling effect that further encompasses the history at large. Making it a lot more impactful. 

!!Very Triggering!! 

At least a happy ending will continue to live in this book despite what actually happened. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

monicalaurette's review against another edition

I DNFed this book at 49% and let me tell you why: I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Kite Runner to start, so I went into this book wondering if I’d like it more. I did but only by a little bit. 

For me it’s more on Khaled’s writing style and prose than the actual story he told. So because of that, and the fact I could tell how the story would end based on the summary and sections of the book I did read, I decided to not continue reading it.

One thing I felt was interesting was that both girls had sort of the same relationships with their parents for the majority of the time. Both loved their fathers and while they loved their mothers, had a more stand-offish relationship with them. And sadly when both parents left their lives, it was through trauma and heartbreak.

With Khaled’s stories that I’ve read, I just find it also uncomfortable to have miscarriage and a woman’s infertility something that is part of the story. Like the only thing left to make them a true woman is ripped away but then “hey! Here’s a child that you didn’t birth but you’ll now love and you’re whole again” rubbed me the wrong way. Especially as someone who has fertility issues (though I never plan to have children, but still). And while I’m not an amputee or know anyone who is (that I can recall right now while writing this) having Laila compare the loss of Tariq to phantom limb pain was off-putting, but I also see why that specific comparison was made towards Tariq since he was, in fact, missing a leg and had a prosthetic.

Perhaps if I watched this as a movie or show instead of reading it I’d finish it. But I know the ending (broadly) and don’t really care about the characters, I don’t know if I’ll ever search that out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and War

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

teryndemaree's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage and Sexual content

tezariah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Every book starts at 3 stars for me. Now, every few moments, this book kept dwindling from 3 stars to 4 stars to 2 stars, and then right back to 3 stars. The reason for that is primarily because even though I felt an attachment to the characters, I still felt disconnected from the story itself. Who knows...it may be my fault when it comes to my reading mood but this book didn't make me as passionate about the storyline as I had for Kite Runner. 

I had no idea what to expect from the story, but for me, that is a regular thing as I am one who doesn't like knowing what a story is about before reading. I'm not sure what I was looking for while reading this, but I did enjoy the characters a lot. I cared about them deeply. And I would have never picked up this book on my own if it wasn't for me having joined my neighborhood book club. 

I am happy that I read this book. Hosseini seems to be a writer of deep character studies and that to me is what makes his books so heart-wrenching. I don't think I will be reading his other book, but I can't ever fully make that claim because somehow I always find myself doing what I never think I would do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War

bcooper21's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage, Blood, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail