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Teen Book Review Blog

Kelly's review of "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

November 7, 2023

Review by Kelly

 Kite runner

5 stars of 5

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a tragic tale about two people: Amir and Hassan. Originally living in peace in Afghanistan, the two were inseparable friends to the point they were almost brothers. Due to an unforeseen incident, Amir and Hassan drift apart. Later on when the war began and the Soviets invaded the country in 1979 during the Soviet-Afghan War, Amir and his family had to escape their luxurious life in Kabul to California in the United States. This book describes the maturing of Amir in a new country while trying to find his was after the tragedies that happened when he was a child. Through several events and plot twists that occur, the story drives fleets of emotions through the reader in the most brilliant ways possible. 

Hosseini’s novel conveys feelings of distress and pure sadness through the life events of Amir. The author’s characterization of Amir is fantastic from his development as a child who was afraid to show his emotions and acceptance for his friend Hassan till the end when Amir accepted himself and his past. The book has a large message which can be described as no matter how terrible your past was, there is a chance for a better life as long as you forgive yourself first. Hosseini also covers how people with different ethnicities are looked down upon in society. Amir was Pashtun who practiced Sunni while Hassan was Hazara who practiced Shi’a. Hassan and his family were all looked down upon just for being the ethnic minority in Afghanistan which never diminishes throughout the novel. In the best way possible, this book made me feel grief, joy, and utter disgust but The Kite Runner is considered one of my favorite novels; I would give it 5 out of 5 stars.  

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