Kindle Book: The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

Length: 400 pages

Format: Kindle book
Price: Free - checked out from the library using the Overdrive App

How I heard about it: It's on my list

Basic Premise: Amir is the privileged only son of a wealthy Afghan businessman. He has grown up with the son of his father's servant, whom he loves and treats like a brother. Until the day he chooses not to. Set against the backdrop of Afghanistan's civil unrest and turmoil, this story is an epic tale of friendship, regret, and ultimately, redemption.

My Take: My Take: 9.5 out of 10 (scale here) 

So many things appealed to me about this book. I love reading books that are well-written. Hosseini's words were so easy, so melodic that I don't think I thought about the writing once, except to admire it. I love reading books set in other countries. This is the first book I've ever read about Afghanistan and I enjoyed all the cultural insights. I love reading books about relationships. This book focused on two huge relationships - the one with his father, and the one with his best friend. The father relationship was often complicated as Amir tried his best and, in his estimation, failed to make his father proud. The friend relationship dissolved after Amir made one bad decision - a decision he would have to live with all his life. 

And I love closing the book, feeling like I am bigger, stronger, better. After I finished this book (which I did in a movie theater while my daughter was watching Spongebob), tears streamed down my face for long minutes. While I wouldn't call this a particularly spiritual book, by the end, Amir has seen God's hand in the happenings of his life, and this story was a beautiful reminder of the way God redeems and restores. I LOVED this book.

Unfortunately, there are some graphic and abusive scenes which would make me uncomfortable handing it off to a 7th grader. Maybe a 9th grader. Definitely an 11th or 12th grader. 

List Progress:

1. I Am Malala by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
3. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
6. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
7. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
8.  Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Timeby Mark Haddon
10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (read before I started blogging)
11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
12. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
13. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (read before I started blogging)
14. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
15. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
16. Bossypants by Tina Fey
17. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
18. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (read before I started blogging)
19. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (read before I started blogging)
20. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
21. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell review here
22. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
23. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - can we have a moment for whoever created this list? "Harry Potter" is not a book. It's a series of books. Sheesh.
24. Looking for Alaska by John Green review here
25. The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak review here
26. The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini