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colormecaro's review against another edition
5.0
This year I have befriended a family of Afghan refugees (and by that I mean I have pretty much been adopted into their family), and the heartache I feel for them and their country made this book hit very differently. My friends fled Afghanistan over twenty years after this book’s plot ends, and yet the situation there has not changed for the better. This might be a work of fiction but the pain in it is so real and so unimaginable to me.
I am also in awe of the language and use of parallels in this book. Khaled Hosseini’s descriptions are real and harrowing, but they never feel forced. There is so much emotional depth. I normally struggle with unlikeable characters and the main character definitely is a little shit at the beginning of the book, but Hosseini achieves to write him in a way that makes me not hate him or want to put the book down.
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
iveyrenee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Hate crime, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, and Religious bigotry
rock_gnome'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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
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
333amreen's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
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