Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

41 reviews

missantelope's review against another edition

emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Vomit, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, War, Blood, Death, Deportation, Gore, Genocide, Islamophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Racism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, and Physical abuse

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

noahfence's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

the kite runner is an absolutely heartbreaking and tragic exploration into taboo friendships, guilt, social and political turmoil, boyhood and manhood and, eventually, redemption. it follows the story of two boys, the underprivileged hazara hassan and the fortunate pashtun amir—and the seemingly irreparable rift that forms between them due to a tragic incident on what is meant to be a day of victory and celebration. it leaves amir reeling with guilt and self-hatred, of which stubbornly pervades into his adult life, and that he eventually goes to extreme lengths to atone for.

this was required reading for my a level course and i wasn’t sure what to expect before i read it. however, i can confidently state that i am left a changed person after reading the kite runner. it moved me to tears on multiple occasions and left me to reflect on the relationships i hold with those i hold most dear in my life, and how i need to hold them tight and never let them go.

broadly this book is the story of a troubled man learning that ‘there is a way to be good again’, and grasping that opportunity with both hands. i feel that, with its initial themes of self-hatred and lacking parental love, it resonates with many of us very deeply. and after the book has done this, it then jumps at the chance to show us how to learn to love ourselves again, and how to build and nurture that same, previously missing, parental love within ourselves so we may find the courage to atone for the bad things we have done… and, after all that, eventually find we are able to forgive ourselves.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Classism, Xenophobia, Grief, Medical content, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and War

Minor: Drug use, Genocide, Abandonment, and Infidelity

aveygravey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Sexual assault

Moderate: War

Minor: Blood, Gore, and Animal death

heidi0770's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Cancer, Death, War, Rape, Gore, Infertility, Violence, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Blood, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Grief

beatriceku's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Gore, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, Vomit, War, Medical content, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Racial slurs, Racism, and Self harm

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

aaronjdilkes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Islamophobia, Violence, War, Blood, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Gore, Rape, and Self harm

ezrazoe4's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

The author has a very easy-to-read writing style, and convey emotions without excess wording. I learnt much about the culture of Afghanistan and the plights that the people face, in their own land and out of it. Grief, regret, and guilt is constant throughout the book, which the author uses to create a powerful story.

Though, honestly, this book wasn't that impactful to me. It didn't make me feel emotional, it didn't have that big an impact on me as I was expecting it to. Perhaps this is because I had high expectations after hearing about all the good reviews. Now that I think about it, the protagonist is a really passive character, who doesn't really do much on his own. The writing was easy to follow, which I liked, but the story itself probably won't stick around in my head for long. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual harassment, Racism, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Bullying, Child death, and War