The Safe Pages Rating
Romance
There was minimal romantic scenes. The main character married later on in the book and a physical relationship was implied since they tried to have a child, but nothing was explicit.
Violence
If startling and disturbing violence troubles you. this might not be the book for you. There were many instances in the book with violence, including an execution. The most horrific action was a rape. It was more horrific and unsettling than it was graphic, with very upsetting descriptions of the aftermath. I had to close the book for at least half an hour afterward. There is implication of child rape within the book as well, although no other scenes are described outside of the one rape. In the overall context of the book, the violence was powerful because of the message it portrays in the whole arc.
Language
There were some instances of crude language, but it was not an overwhelming amount.
Drugs and Alcohol
There were minimal scenes of adults drinking alcohol throughout the book.
Diversity
There was a diverse group of characters throughout the book. The main two characters had different ethnicities. There was a strong theme of racism throughout the book towards one of the characters.
Demographic
Because of the horrific rape in the book, I would not recommend this book to anyone but an adult. I would imagine that some parts of the book would be scarring to those that are younger. An adult that would be sensitive to the violence may want to wait until they think they are ready because it is triggering.
Going into this book. I was not sure what to expect. I did not know anyone who had read it although I knew it was a popular book. I have to admit that The Kite Runner made a much more powerful impact on me than I ever thought it would. After I finished, I thought about it for hours, days, and weeks afterward. It was so sad and real. It made me question every relationship that I had ever had and if there was something that I regretted. It made me think about if there was any secret I had been holding onto that I needed to get out.
The redemption story arc was beautiful and heartbreaking. I certainly shed many tears throughout. There were times I was frustrated with the main character, but I kept wanting him to do the right thing. I kept hoping. It made me hope that I would do differently if I was in that situation, but it made me realize that not doing something is sometimes a crime. The rape scene was intense and disturbing, but I understand in the arc of the book how powerful it was. I don’t think I will ever be the same after reading The Kite Runner.
The Safe Pages Rating System
Content Unsuitable
Read at your own discretion
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