Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

486 reviews

racquellemulvey's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

If you want to cry and become extremely moved, I do recommend. Artfully written, and I can see why one would require student to read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Classism

becky2104's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism

rberdan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-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

4.5

The Kite Runner is devastating and beautifully written. There are many content warnings to heed. I had to take breaks because of the heaviness, but that speaks also to how rich the storytelling was. Set in Afghanistan and the United States, this is a story of family trauma and secrets, betrayal, redemption, unconditional love, friendship, war, violence, class, power, and immigration. Yes, it’s a lot, and woven together artfully. 

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

clarizzalaine's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

Heartbreaking book. I’m not very educated of what’s going on in Afghanistan so I appreciate that this book gave me an idea of the tragedy there. There’s really no slow moments here and I felt like everything in the book was detrimental to the story.

The main character is very real and flawed and had great development. I’m sad but also happy with how everything turned out.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

theraindiary's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Infertility, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, and Alcohol

xwritingstoriesx's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence and Infertility

thelols4's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Religious bigotry and Suicide attempt

noeul's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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: Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Death of parent

twonky's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and War

cecereads__'s review against another edition

4.25

A mostly heartbreaking book but with a side of beauty and all the ups and downs and flaws that come with life and love and family.
Tragedy was always close by in this story, which is only respectful of reality. Sohrab is someone I will remember for a long time.

and someone I wish had been spared the heartbreaking experiences following (and including) the murder of his parents. Amir is a deeply flawed mc, who treated Hassan from a conflicted but ultimately jealous and unkind and unfair standpoint. Even though he is just a child and a child of his environment. Assef is socio- and psychopathic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Infertility, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Terminal illness, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism