Reviews with content warning for Hate crime - The Kite Runner

We all make mistakes, and we all have regrets. Life is so complicated, but we can learn from these things and forgiveness is such a precious gift. The Kite Runner is a story of intense friendship, and struggle. It's heart wrenching and heart warming at the same time. A story about self reflection and growth and what it means to be alive.

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themrshedrick816's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I wanted to read this book because I knew it had a lot of cultural aspects to it as well as being considered a “banned” book. It’s not my usual style/genre of reading, but with that being said, it was good. I did struggle some with the concepts and cultural differences and fully understanding them as I read but also enjoy that I feel more educated on them after reading this book. Overall, there were a lot of difficult, sad, and frustrating parts to read, but I do think the story was told well. While not based on a true story, I did feel that all the aspects and hardships faced by the characters are real things that happen to Afghans and I feel that after reading this book I have an even deeper sympathy for what people of this origin faced during this time period. I do recommend this book, not necessarily as a “pleasure” read but as an expand your knowledge read, if that makes sense.

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theemster's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Watch the trigger warnings, this one is heavy.

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b3ttysbooks33's review against another edition

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informative reflective sad tense fast-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

This book is not only a relatable, emotional story about regret, but also a haunting and impactful insight into the tragic historical and ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.

note: some people criticize the depictions of religion and politics, but I feel that because most of these controversial opinions come from characters who is clearly deeply flawed, the author leaves room for such issues to be discussed rather than dictating a specific narrative.

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quinn24's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative 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

5.0

This was a painful read, and I mean that as big compliment. I really don’t know much at all about Afghanistan’s history or culture and I think I learnt a lot from this, and am interested in learning more, which I really love when a book does that for me. The characters all feel very human, and complex. Amir is an interesting protagonist, he makes some really bad decisions that hurt people in a terrible way but I also feel the need to defend him, and I think his arc was very well done. This novel is imbued with a deep sense of grief. Grief of a childhood, of innocence, of loved ones, and of a homeland. It’s emotional whiplash tied up in beautiful writing and narrative structure.

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