Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

46 reviews

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

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

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

spencerjie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

this book is, understandably, incredibly dark. taking place in war-torn Afghanistan, these personal stories get to the root of the effects of war, traditionalism, womanhood, religion, and so much more. gorgeous prose and insightful storytelling. i would be very cautious and cognizant that you are in a decent mental health space before you read this book because it is nothing short of brutal from beginning to end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Vomit, Violence, and War

ezrazoe4's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-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

5.0

This book is way better than the Kite Runner. I didn't expect to like it as much as I do when I started reading it, but it totally subverted my expectations. The writing is still easy to read, but the story is so much more powerful and touching, and it helps that the characters feel real. I love Mariam so much- my favourite character in this book. I don't usually feel much towards the antagonists but

when he died at the end I felt so vindicated. Not many antagonists can make me hate them with all my heart.

 

All in all, this is a great book. I throughly enjoyed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, War, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Police brutality

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Rape, Miscarriage, and Genocide

joodreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, War, Cursing, Gaslighting, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, and Religious bigotry

pomegranate117's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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

5.0

I never felt this connected to a character from a book before, the way the story moves to different parts of life and people and the horrors of war is heartbreaking but so haunting at the same time, you keep reading about these characters and their lives is full of ups and downs and you’re thrown into this mixer of emotions that breaks your heart in the best way possible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, War, Abandonment, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Suicide

anmariefweeks's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Torture, War, Gun violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Infertility, Mass/school shootings, Suicide, Abortion, Child death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault

phoebebridgersbitch's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Physical abuse, War, and Violence

whitebabysbreath's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and War

hammy_down's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.0

This book is a solid four. I do recommend it, but it isn’t one of my favorites. The book focuses on women written by a man. It is a little hard to connect to that. 
It is definitely heartbreaking and touching. You can feel it all. Great book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Antisemitism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Police brutality