Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

51 reviews

missantelope's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

i was expecting to love this because i love the genre and everyone raves about it. however, i struggled enjoying a book where i really despised the main character. i never really wanted him to succeed so i never really got invested unfortunately. i only got invested in the side characters story which was devastating. the writing was amazing though. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

clevelandbookgirl's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Animal death, Drug abuse, and Infidelity

noahfence's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

the kite runner is an absolutely heartbreaking and tragic exploration into taboo friendships, guilt, social and political turmoil, boyhood and manhood and, eventually, redemption. it follows the story of two boys, the underprivileged hazara hassan and the fortunate pashtun amir—and the seemingly irreparable rift that forms between them due to a tragic incident on what is meant to be a day of victory and celebration. it leaves amir reeling with guilt and self-hatred, of which stubbornly pervades into his adult life, and that he eventually goes to extreme lengths to atone for.

this was required reading for my a level course and i wasn’t sure what to expect before i read it. however, i can confidently state that i am left a changed person after reading the kite runner. it moved me to tears on multiple occasions and left me to reflect on the relationships i hold with those i hold most dear in my life, and how i need to hold them tight and never let them go.

broadly this book is the story of a troubled man learning that ‘there is a way to be good again’, and grasping that opportunity with both hands. i feel that, with its initial themes of self-hatred and lacking parental love, it resonates with many of us very deeply. and after the book has done this, it then jumps at the chance to show us how to learn to love ourselves again, and how to build and nurture that same, previously missing, parental love within ourselves so we may find the courage to atone for the bad things we have done… and, after all that, eventually find we are able to forgive ourselves.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Gore, Rape, Suicide, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, and Abandonment

aveygravey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: War

Minor: Animal death, Gore, and Blood

heidi0770'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and War

beatriceku's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

this book is many things. a waste of time is not one of them. the story is an overwhelming and heart wrenching tale, one that i feel is relatable, but other-worldly at the same time. you’ve heard it said before, but this is truly one important book. does anything ‘good’ necessarily happen in this novel! i would probably argue not. but it is filled with complexity and layers of human emotion that are unreachable in your typical YA novels and arguably, the most renowned classics. it speaks to the immigrant experience, the heartbreak of war, guilt, shame, class, and so many more in a gripping, nuanced, and eloquent manner. not only so, but is a riveting read, with twists and a fair share of devastating turns. all in all, although the term is cliche - it is an important read. to not only understand the history of Afghanistan, and the story of Amir, but also as a guide in how to navigate our own burdens and deepest shames.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, and Classism

bookbug26's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.0

I just wish I knew about the trigger warnings.
Very impactful storytelling. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and War

aaronjdilkes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and War

ezrazoe4's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

The author has a very easy-to-read writing style, and convey emotions without excess wording. I learnt much about the culture of Afghanistan and the plights that the people face, in their own land and out of it. Grief, regret, and guilt is constant throughout the book, which the author uses to create a powerful story.

Though, honestly, this book wasn't that impactful to me. It didn't make me feel emotional, it didn't have that big an impact on me as I was expecting it to. Perhaps this is because I had high expectations after hearing about all the good reviews. Now that I think about it, the protagonist is a really passive character, who doesn't really do much on his own. The writing was easy to follow, which I liked, but the story itself probably won't stick around in my head for long. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Bullying, Child death, and War