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rberdan's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
From the joy of kite running to graphic abuse to the complexities of relationship, I felt so much of this book deeply. I’m a white woman from the Global North, so there are many aspects of this book that are far from my own lived experiences, and yet the desire to undo regret and redeem oneself, to simply be loved by those we admire most, and to get away from kindness that feels undeserved… these are things I can relate to. While I know conceptually of the history of the Taliban and of issues with immigration, there is an immersive reality in the storytelling that allowed me to understand in a different way. There is a recurring theme of shame and being loved anyway that is truly beautiful and touching.
Amir’s own self loathing is so beautifully captured that I found myself struggling to like him much. Seeing his family and Hassan through his eyes was so interesting as I got to love them along with him. I ultimately could feel compassion for him as he found his way to loving others. I struggled to forgive him as he struggled to forgive himself, even though his greatest regret was still something he did (or didn’t do) as a child.
All of that said, I also felt that there was almost too much “other people are good and I’m bad” in the story. I get that it’s Amir’s point of view, and I also feel that there’s more nuance than this in who we are as humans.
In the end, I absolutely adored Sohrab and my heart broke for all that he’d endured at such a young age. I ended the book with so much hope for what could be on the other side of his early days.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, War, and Classism
count_of_carabas's review against another edition
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Classism
twonky'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and War
_fathimanourin1234_'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? N/A
5.0
Sohrab is the best kid. I wished I could hug him and give him all the love he deserves and beyond. Anyways, Amir did that. I'm glad for that.
The mosr devastating part is the cruelties done by Taliban to Afghan people. It shooked ne while I was reading their actions towards the innocent people including children, men and women. No one deserves that kind of atrocities.
Overall, this book terrified me. This book was devastating, Heartbreaking and unforgettable. And I'm not going to reread this book again because it is as much devastating.
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
tamareadsbooks's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Gore, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War
theromanticace'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
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Infertility, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Classism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Infidelity and Abandonment
okiecozyreader's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can see why it’s on so many lists- both of books you should read and books that people are banning. Khalid Hosseini writes in the introduction of my copy how he writes to tell himself a story. But after September 11th, his wife demanded he send his work to a publisher to show them a different side of Afghanistan. I thought it was interesting he also has a MD in internal medicine.
KITE RUNNER is the story of Amir, the son of a wealthy, hardworking businessman. His father has a servant whose family has worked for them for 40 years, who has a son of similar age Hassan, who is a Hazara - a shunned ethnic group. Hassan is very loyal to Amir and Amir is not as good of a friend to Hassan. When a tragic event occurs, Amir’s guilt makes him miserable, and he can no longer face Hassan. About the same time, the Afghanistan country is invaded by Russia and he and his father escape to the United States. In THE KITE RUNNER, we see how the Afghanistan culture changes with all of the power struggles and how Amir’s loving family and friends change him for the better.
“For kite runners, the most coveted prize was the last fallen kite of a winter tournament. It was a trophy of honor, something to be displayed on a mantel for guests to admire.” P47
“Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. Do you understand that?”
…
"When you kill a man, you steal a life," Baba said. "You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Do you see?" P16
“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir, he said.” p125-126
“Returning to Kabul was like running into an old, forgotten friend and seeing that life hadn't been good to him, that he'd become homeless and destitute.” P218
Graphic: Cancer, Rape, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Violence, and Death of parent
sareidle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Additionally, I think that Kite Runner pairs very well with A Thousand Splendid Suns in showing how the Taliban affected life across gender, class, and ethnicity.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Rape, Self harm, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Infertility, Racial slurs, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
redefiningrachel's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cannibalism
rileydobereading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Infertility, Trafficking, Death of parent, War, and Classism
Minor: Racial slurs and Alcohol