gabriella_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Islamophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Misogyny, Stalking, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Grief, Gore, Medical content, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Death, Mental illness, Trafficking, Abandonment, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Xenophobia, Ableism, Child abuse, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, and Torture
lydiature_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
cue a couple of days ago. i saw the physical book at the thrift store for 50 cents and i was like 👀 i’m a simple girl. if i see a book (especially a cheap one), i will buy. so i bought it and i decided to try it again like 2 days ago.
this is one of the most heartbreaking books i have read in a long time. it was uncomfortable all the way through. especially since cruelty and all its nuances were explored in various ways. we have the cruelty of assef (the main bully. may god punish his soul) and the taliban, which is more overt and dark. we have the cruelty of cowards, like amir who watches a life altering event occur. in this story, there are victims, abusers, cowards, and everything else in between. sometimes, characters play all roles at the same time. such is life. sometimes, we might wish to be the hero, but like amir, we might realize that there are shades to heroes. it isn’t so black and white like people tell us.
even though i despise amir for what he didn’t do, i felt myself empathizing with him later on. i never excused his act, but i commended him on his actions later on. and that’s what the author i think was trying to convey. being a hero, coward, and abuser aren’t so clear cut.
i was honestly surprised by this story. it kept exceeding my expectations. i felt so many emotions and deep connection with the characters, despite the very difficult subject matter. i’m so happy that i gave this another shot. i’m definitely adding this author to my “automatic buy” list.
Graphic: Xenophobia, War, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
dragonmom'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Racism, Xenophobia, Rape, and War
sherenreads'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
Moderate: Murder, Gun violence, Death of parent, Rape, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, War, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Genocide, Cursing, and Bullying
kirstieanya'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
4.25
Graphic: Rape, Suicide attempt, War, Violence, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Cancer, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Child abuse, Infertility, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Grief, Self harm, and Murder
a_menace_2_society's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent
livia_jewel'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: Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Rape, Racism, Xenophobia, War, Violence, and Self harm
mergwenthur'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
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Gore, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Rape, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Mental illness, War, Self harm, Suicide, and Violence
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
picklesandpeaches'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: Xenophobia, Sexual assault, War, Violence, and Child abuse