seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Child death, Religious bigotry, Self harm, War, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Classism, Grief, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Minor: Cursing
sagelikesscats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Toxic friendship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Cancer, Suicide attempt, Grief, and Rape
Moderate: Classism, Racial slurs, and Torture
Minor: Antisemitism
sadiaa's review against another edition
4.75
Moderate: Cursing, Death, War, Grief, Xenophobia, Cancer, Genocide, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Murder, Alcohol, Deportation, Rape, Body shaming, Classism, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Suicide attempt
afroheaux's review against another edition
- 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
One thing I love about Hosseini's books is how honest he is about trauma and how it manifests in your life. The pain is so palpable that sometimes I had to put the book down, overwhelmed by the amount of emotion being threaded into the page. It carries a weight in your heart that's not easily dislodged. The choices that Amir makes throughout the book will leave you aggravated.
Spoiler
His treatment of Hassan throughout their children is despicable and I'm not even referencing their shared trauma of the gang rape. I understand that he felt lesser to Hassan because he felt like Hassan should've been where he stood. That was no excuse to take out his pain on him. Throughout the book he references how he snaps at him or does something nasty towards and he's like, "But Hassan always understood." The cruelty he showed towards him so that he could get rid of his own feelings of inadequacy pissed me off. Amir saw the kindness in which his father gained people's respect. How could he not do the same with his own best friend? The one who did everything for him? He was his personal assistant and maid wrapped under the guise of a best friend and he couldn't at least treat him with dignity? That's my only complaint about the book. Amir was just a little bit too self involved sometimes, but he's human, as we all are, so I can't blame him for that necessarily, but it was annoying to read someone berate someone who loved them so.The poison does drip through and affects its victims in different ways. The relationship at the heart of the book, Amir & Hassan, is such a beautiful portrayal of love between men in a platonic way that surpasses what is traditionally allowed in American contexts and it's incredible to watch. Hosseini does a wonderful job of transporting you into the streets of Afghanistan prior to the revolution that kicked off a series of war crimes and misfortunes that tore apart a country with a rich history and culture. He gives humanity to a section of the world that many have cast aside as filled with murderous religious extremists which is an ignorant oversimplification and bigoted statement. Reading his works have made me interested in the history of the region at that time and why the Middle East turned into a battleground for Western interests.
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape
dawneelisabeth's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, War, and Classism
amabel_xo's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence and Xenophobia
Moderate: Chronic illness, Alcohol, Death of parent, Death, Classism, Torture, Sexual violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, Infertility, Cancer, Blood, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, War, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Rape, Slavery, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Misogyny, Grief, Genocide, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Infidelity, Hate crime, and Alcoholism
mirandyli's review against another edition
- 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
I will say, however, that there is a reason that thousands of people have raved about this book. Khaled Hosseini writes gorgeously. I loved this book and his other books as well.
Graphic: Xenophobia, Classism, Death, Pedophilia, Toxic friendship, War, Islamophobia, Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Rape, and Sexual assault
mitchell_1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Classism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Trafficking, War, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Hate crime, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Violence
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Chronic illness, Death, Hate crime, Infertility, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Toxic friendship, and War
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Police brutality, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Excrement, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, and Vomit
Minor: Antisemitism, Body shaming, Body horror, Torture, and Miscarriage
bigteo's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
However, the last arc was a bit of a slog for me personally due to how depressing it was. Keep in mind I read the last half of the book in a single sitting tho.
I actually did like how the protagonist was unlikeable because it’s not something I often see in books. The outrage at some of his actions means I was emotionally invested (even if it was through anger) with what the character would do next.
But yeah would recommend it tbh just check trigger warnings because it gets very dark and heavy at parts.
Graphic: Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Death, Gun violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Blood, Cancer, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Murder, War, Violence, Classism, Self harm, and Medical content
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Infertility, Miscarriage, Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, and Pregnancy