Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

43 reviews

r34d3r's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

Minor: Classism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, War, Murder, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Blood, Grief, and Child death

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

suneaters's review against another edition

emotional sad 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

Oh gosh. This book was wonderful, but very hard to read in some parts. The ending with Sohrab really hurt, but I'm so glad

he got to go home with Amir after his suicide attempt. I also hope he'll eventually heal and be able to open up more to Amir and his wife Soraya.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Child abuse

Moderate: Infertility, Terminal illness, War, and Death of parent

Minor: Murder, Vomit, and Miscarriage

akvolcano's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Suicide attempt, Cancer, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, War, Child abuse, Islamophobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide

mi7sma's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Death, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Classism, Murder, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry

reesechu's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

heartbreaking, very well-written

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Classism, Death of parent, Child death, War, Bullying, Vomit, Dementia, Racism, Violence, Rape, Racial slurs, Death, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Miscarriage

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Rape, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicide, Self harm, Sexual content, Racism, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, and Sexual harassment

elliexsiena's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

4.5

This book is so beautiful but so harrowing. The various relationships between the central male characters is what drives the plot, but it is also what breaks your heart repeatedly. However, I love and admire Hosseini for creating a main character who is so unlikeable it is hard not to hate him - despite the fact he is a child - but by the end of the emotionally draining narrative it is hard not to love him. In essence, this is a story of redemption, and the power of friendship and brotherhood. The depiction of seldom-represented issues faced by men - perhaps issues which are largely considered exclusive to the female experience - is unique and essential. When it comes to the setting of a war-torn, Taliban-occupied Afghanistan, Hosseini has not shied away from the unimaginable horrors faced, and now faced once again, by the innocent people of Afghanistan. Whilst this is hard, and sometimes even impossible to read, it is necessary to create both awareness and action in countries such as the UK which pay very little attention to a country that surely needs our help. Overall, The Kite Runner is a beautiful story set against the backdrop of a traumatised country, which has in turn traumatised its citizens.   

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, War, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Death

Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Cancer

nasab's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Death of parent, Gun violence, Genocide, and Hate crime

Minor: Miscarriage, Medical content, Infidelity, Infertility, and Alcohol

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