Heart-wrenching coming-of-age story with the turmoil of Afghanistan as a poignant backdrop. Recommended to those interested in Central Asia, Afghanistan, realistic fiction, or struggles for redemption.

Trigger warning: graphic depiction and insinuations of / references to sexual assault scattered throughout the book, but substantive to the main plot. ( )

This one is to be read over the weekend. Not on a work day unless you want to come to work with blood-shot eyes. ( )

This book is filled with tragic surprises, with twists and turns that tug at your heart. It's a powerful narrative of fatherhood and redemption, a story that reminds you just how messy life is sometimes and in some places. Add to that the fact that it's masterfully told, rich with symbolism and foreshadowing, yet a story in which the author "disappears" and we only see the end result...

... this book is definitely worth reading at least once. ( )

Such a great story! ( )

Unforgettable. Read when first published and it still lingers in my heart and mind. When a book has that impact, its well worth a 5-star review.

FROM BOOKBUB: The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, caught in the tragic sweep of history, The Kite Runner transports readers to Afghanistan at a tense and crucial moment of change and destruction. A powerful story of friendship, it is also about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

Since its publication in 2003 Kite Runner has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic of contemporary literature, touching millions of readers, and launching the career of one of America’s most treasured writers. ( )