Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

66 reviews

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

i was expecting to love this because i love the genre and everyone raves about it. however, i struggled enjoying a book where i really despised the main character. i never really wanted him to succeed so i never really got invested unfortunately. i only got invested in the side characters story which was devastating. the writing was amazing though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Rape, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Infertility, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Violence, and War

clevelandbookgirl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Suicide, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Child death, War, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Infertility, Sexual assault, Gore, Grief, Blood, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Self harm

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Infidelity, Drug abuse, and Animal death

hasritha's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Infertility, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Rape, Racism, Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, Pedophilia, Blood, and Bullying

irene_g08's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Bullying, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Blood

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Infertility and Infidelity

monicalaurette's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

“Because the past claws its way out.”

So this book was something that I had always heard of as such a great book and something everyone should read. So I bought it years ago. Then my mom borrowed it for one of her college courses and loved it, so I kept the book even though I never looked up the summary. So I went into this book totally blind. And part of me wishes I was still blind to it.

I could not get myself to really enjoy the book. I think I finished the book out of spite for the main character because I just didn’t like him. Most of what he did rubbed me the wrong way, even as a child yes some of those things, and I don’t feel that he really changed by the end. The only thing I liked was Amir’s wife and the fact that we got justice for Hassan through his son.

“But Baba had found a way to create good out of his remorse… What had I ever done to right things?”

The trauma and assault that Hassan went through, while I guess I understand why it was added in the book, given the story and the time it was written, but I felt that it wasn’t needed, especially with the constant flashbacks with new details that Amir had. I almost stopped the book when it happened and each time it was brought up again I was close to stopping, but I had to know what happened to Hassan by the end. And I was only sad about what happened to him and his wife.

The somewhat namesake of the book, that kite tournament, was very interesting to read about though. I’d love to watch something like that or participate in. I think that it was a great point to start and stop the book during two different tournaments; possibly the two most important ones in Amir’s life.

Due to me just not liking this book or the main character (given the fact that his growth really only happened during the last few chapters in my opinion) I gave The Kite Runner 3 stars. I was originally going to do 3.5 stars but after thinking about it more I decided against it. I have started the author’s second book, and I wonder if I’ll complete it or DNF should I feel the same as I did with this one.

“Or, maybe, it was meant not to be.”

Hassan was just too loyal and accepting. The mother who abandoned him comes back years later and he aides her back to health, he does what he is told and never tells on Amir, and for just watching the home while Rahim was gone he is met with trauma, grief, and his own death.

I know why Baba also probably paid for the surgery, but did anyone ask Hassan if he even wanted to get the surgery done on this lip? Because I feel like he only did it because his master told him to.

I didn’t like how we were supposed to just always feel bad for Amir when all bad that came to him was karma and his own doing. He was a rich boy and had bad things happen to him yeah, but what about all the bad he did himself?

Sohrab hitting Assef in the eye with that brass using the slingshot felt like poetic justice. The weapon and threat from Hassan finally came true and he should feel proud for what he did.

Soraya’s infertility was something that had to be done to bring Sohrab home, but I wish that it talked more into Soraya’s sadness with him and focused on her a little during that time. As someone with fertility issues it was sad to see that it was only written as a way to bring a child in later, that no woman can be happy without a child in her life.

I KNEW THEY WERE BROTHERS WHY ELSE WOULD BABA TREAT HIM LIKE THAT!?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, War, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Islamophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pedophilia

Minor: Classism

bookbug26's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

I just wish I knew about the trigger warnings.
Very impactful storytelling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Torture, War, Toxic friendship, Blood, Fatphobia, Incest, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Rape, Abandonment, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Pedophilia, and Violence

biancaxcep's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Cancer and Infertility

sunny_not's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

Very impactful and incredibly sad. Don't be like me and check the trigger warnings before reading this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, War, Pedophilia, Infertility, Death, Child abuse, Cancer, Violence, Death of parent, and Blood

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

lindasoderlundd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Child abuse, Infertility, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, War, Murder, and Rape

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Misogyny