Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

80 reviews

theemster's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

mauricekofi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book absolutely broke me and made me whole, over and over again. All I will say is I should have listened to my friend when she told me she cried as a child reading this book, it's not for the light of heart. Yet still, Hosseini impacts a critical understanding of life and consequences for those in the global south, through the lens of an Afghan boy, grown into a man, who lived in privilege before his country turned to ruin by the policies of European and Western powers. My review does not do justice for how wonderfully sad, informative, and foundational this book is. In a post-Afghanistan war America, I dearly wish more Americans and young students read this book, to ask themselves why we are taught the things we know about other countries and challenge when and where American "intervention" is needed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and War

Moderate: Terminal illness, Torture, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

kibiiiariii's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

anh_read's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, and War

staylor1607's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Islamophobia, and War

eilif_has_no_gender's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

3.0

It isn't a bad book but it just isn't the type of book for me.

I personally think most realistic fiction books aren't entertaining. Sure a lot are well written I just don't think they are fun to read.

This book was one of them. It isn't a book I would've picked on my own. It was well written though so minus personal preference there is nothing wrong with it.


Also if anyone is like, "Why did they put it wasn't diverse?" A story where most characters are part of the same minority is just as not diverse as one where most characters are not part of a minority.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Trafficking

Minor: Child abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

eap5790's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and War

kateelissa's review against another edition

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Infertility, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: War

Minor: Death of parent

tkivinen's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

Read this in under 3 days. A very captivating story, although some parts of the story felt a bit overly coincidental or tragic.

Hosseini is an amazing storyteller and although I've never visited the Middle East he managed to paint a lively picture of past and present Afghanistan.

Will definitely read his other books too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Torture

astronautin's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Medical content

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Genocide, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Torture, Suicide attempt, and War

Minor: Drug use and Miscarriage