Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

69 reviews

mauricekofi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

This book absolutely broke me and made me whole, over and over again. All I will say is I should have listened to my friend when she told me she cried as a child reading this book, it's not for the light of heart. Yet still, Hosseini impacts a critical understanding of life and consequences for those in the global south, through the lens of an Afghan boy, grown into a man, who lived in privilege before his country turned to ruin by the policies of European and Western powers. My review does not do justice for how wonderfully sad, informative, and foundational this book is. In a post-Afghanistan war America, I dearly wish more Americans and young students read this book, to ask themselves why we are taught the things we know about other countries and challenge when and where American "intervention" is needed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt

kibiiiariii's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Violence, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Grief, Racial slurs, War, Infertility, Police brutality, Torture, Bullying, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Blood, Islamophobia, Domestic abuse, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Death, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia

anh_read's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Trafficking, War, Sexual assault, Death, Child abuse, Genocide, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, and Rape

unknownuser1607's review

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Torture, War, Violence, Rape, Islamophobia, Death, Cancer, Self harm, Sexual assault, Child death, and Genocide

eilif_has_no_gender's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

3.0

It isn't a bad book but it just isn't the type of book for me.

I personally think most realistic fiction books aren't entertaining. Sure a lot are well written I just don't think they are fun to read.

This book was one of them. It isn't a book I would've picked on my own. It was well written though so minus personal preference there is nothing wrong with it.


Also if anyone is like, "Why did they put it wasn't diverse?" A story where most characters are part of the same minority is just as not diverse as one where most characters are not part of a minority.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Suicide attempt, War, Emotional abuse, Torture, Death of parent, Police brutality, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Infertility, Blood, Mental illness, Hate crime, Genocide, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Ableism

Moderate: Trafficking

Minor: Infertility, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Child abuse

eap5790's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Xenophobia, War, Torture, Sexual assault, Infertility, Violence, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Rape, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Mental illness

kateelissa's review against another edition

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Gore, Self harm, Rape, Torture, and Infertility

Moderate: War

Minor: Death of parent

tkivinen's review against another edition

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

4.25

Read this in under 3 days. A very captivating story, although some parts of the story felt a bit overly coincidental or tragic.

Hosseini is an amazing storyteller and although I've never visited the Middle East he managed to paint a lively picture of past and present Afghanistan.

Will definitely read his other books too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Self harm, and Rape

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Infertility, Chronic illness, Xenophobia, Blood, Violence, Child death, Vomit, Sexism, Cancer, Pedophilia, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Racism, Mass/school shootings, Genocide, Child abuse, Addiction, Racial slurs, War, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Grief, Animal death, Gun violence, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Torture

astronautin's review

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Medical content

Moderate: War, Torture, Terminal illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pedophilia, Cancer, Child abuse, Genocide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Miscarriage and Drug use

gabriella_'s review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-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

4.75

This book made me incredibly emotional. I wish I read it sooner. Really satisfying read, excellent character development, and the writing was beautiful and haunting. I absolutely could not put this book down when I was reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Islamophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Misogyny, Stalking, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Grief, Gore, Medical content, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Death, Mental illness, Trafficking, Abandonment, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Xenophobia, Ableism, Child abuse, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, and Torture