Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

16 reviews

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

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

Minor: Classism

isabellamaria's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

jessamine864's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Trigger Warnings for this book! This book granted is well written and informative of a horrific period of relatively recent history. But it is harrowing.... I mean just look at the trigger warnings already put in by the reviews. This book is dark and darker. Partly the gut-wrenchingly horrible part of it is that you can see this is based in truth and these things happened to many people and are still happening around the world. I had to finish it to find out what happened and read it in 4hrs straight, but my mind is still troubled and will be for a while I think. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

lilifane's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Don't know when I last cried so much while reading a book. 
And I have no idea how to talk about it. Just that it made me feel things, I liked the writing, especially the atmosphere that was created. It's just a very depressing book. Not only the things that happen to the characters (and why!) but also the history of Afghanistan you get a small glimpse of. 
I personally like the way the plot is constructed, the middle part is a little long-winded, though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

bwaycatherine's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Mass/school shootings

bwaymadeline's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

an absolutely phenomenally written book about friendship, bravery, betrayal, and forgiveness

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Animal death and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Sexual content