mairi96's review
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
nabihakhan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
olivia_rose1999's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
alexthepink's review
3.0
Enjoyable, with a likeable protagonist, not as plot driven as the books I usually enjoy. The novel is set in Karachi, Pakistan and centres around Hasan, an 11 year old boy growing up in a privileged household. One day he sees a boy flying a kite fall to his death from the roof of a house. His beloved uncle, an opposition politiican, is arrested for treason and Hasan's life is turned upside down.
I loved the sensory detail in this book and it made me feel like I could visualise Karachi, despite having never been there. The plot line was a bit gentle for my taste, but it's a very accomplished book and an enjoyable read.
I loved the sensory detail in this book and it made me feel like I could visualise Karachi, despite having never been there. The plot line was a bit gentle for my taste, but it's a very accomplished book and an enjoyable read.
saba_ts's review
3.0
Interesting read. But it wasn't exactly what I'd expected from the writer who gave me "Broken Verses".
smokeyshouse's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The writing was not to my taste - Shamsie tried to make word-plays that weren't successful (unlike Tomb of Sand, where it was done brilliantly in the English translation). In addition, the level of word-play did not seem to fit the age of the child protagonists (there were two). Also, the use of a pre-teen narrator was not a good choice for conveying political ideas. As one review noted, the interspersing of fantasy-scapes in the mind of the narrator was reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes; but in this case it just made the scenes disengaging. However, the story had enough interest, and was a good debut novel. I will continue with my Shamsie reading project and read her subsequent books in order of publication.
iqazi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
alexthepink's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable, with a likeable protagonist, not as plot driven as the books I usually enjoy. The novel is set in Karachi, Pakistan and centres around Hasan, an 11 year old boy growing up in a privileged household. One day he sees a boy flying a kite fall to his death from the roof of a house. His beloved uncle, an opposition politiican, is arrested for treason and Hasan's life is turned upside down.
I loved the sensory detail in this book and it made me feel like I could visualise Karachi, despite having never been there. The plot line was a bit gentle for my taste, but it's a very accomplished book and an enjoyable read.
I loved the sensory detail in this book and it made me feel like I could visualise Karachi, despite having never been there. The plot line was a bit gentle for my taste, but it's a very accomplished book and an enjoyable read.
saba_ts's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting read. But it wasn't exactly what I'd expected from the writer who gave me "Broken Verses".
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