Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

51 reviews

taibreakfast's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

I guess it's a cliché to like this book but it was really, really good! My friend put it well: it's so well crafted that it reads like a memoir. I think this is because it does such a good job with scene vs summary, connecting moments to broader history, recalling forward and backward in time. Like, the protagonist has really thought about the meanings behind his life events and the story it represents for him.

At times, some details or developments feel just a little too tidy, but also so much happens and there's so much hardship and violence, the tidy or circular elements do ground the story and help the reader to make meaning along the way. It means the writer is able to present us with not quite a happy ending that is still deeply satisfying and even hopeful. 

Listened to the audiobook, which I highly recommend! It's read by the author, which can be hit or miss, but he does a good job. And I got to hear how he pronounces Afghanistan etc. It's not how they pronounce it on CNN!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Torture, War, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Antisemitism, Bullying, Infertility, and Miscarriage

figwood's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Religious bigotry, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Bullying, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, War, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Animal cruelty, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Blood, Cancer, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Racism, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Misogyny

c_dmckinney's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Classism, Gun violence, Infertility, War, Violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Genocide, Infidelity, and Trafficking

fionnlister's review against another edition

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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Genocide, Cancer, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Rape, Death, Suicide attempt, Infertility, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and War

literaryjunarin's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

4.0

“You're gutless. It's how you were made. And that's not such a bad thing because your saving grace is that you've never lied to yourself about it. Not about that. Nothing wrong with cowardice as long as it comes with prudence. But when a coward stops remembering who he is... God help him.”

This read is very timely with what's currently going on in Afghanistan. With the current events in the back of my mind while reading, the story became more heart-wrenchingly painful.

The Kite Runner tells a lot of different stories.  A story between father and son, between two friends, the meaning of family, a love story, war, grief, guilt, and redemption.

Amir and Hassan's first words were like a foreshadowing of their sacrifices in the future. Amir's first word is Baba (meaning "father") while Hassan's was "Amir". 

I read this family saga very slowly. It took me a month and even at the end of the book, I still hate Amir. And Baba is a hypocrite. Hate them both.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Trafficking, Pedophilia, and War

jemmathompson's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad

• 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

5.0

Amazing book, studied it for A level, absolutely adore Hosseini’s writing style. But fair warning, this book can be very graphic and content-heavy at times, will most likely make you cry. Make sure to check any trigger warnings before you decide to read, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants an authentic insight into life in Afghanistan both before and after their conflicts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Vomit, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Rape, War, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexism, Racism, Medical content, Death of parent, Bullying, and Sexual assault

bookswithgeorgia's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Trafficking, Violence, War, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Torture, Genocide, Murder, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Slavery, Terminal illness, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

kirsty_irwin's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide attempt, War, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Self harm, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Infertility, Islamophobia, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Vomit and Suicide

sydneys_bookshelf's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.0

this was so hard to read sometimes, just because i had no idea what was going to happen in this book before i started it. moving story. generations pass and this man is trying atone for his mistakes still.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death of parent, and Gun violence

Moderate: Rape and Trafficking

lovelyannalee's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, War, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence