Gripping. An understanding of the horrors of war. Ciould be a story ripped from the headlines. Some parts gave me nightmares. Well worth reading.

This is an excellent book that is well written and easy to read. As a Persian woman, I was able to connect with the characters and the difficult experiences they had as young children. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those who feel a strong connection with their friends.

A wonderful glimpse of a culture that rich with tradition. A good read.

Reviewed by Steph for TeensReadToo.com

THE KITE RUNNER is a beautiful story written by Khaled Hosseini (not to mention the first Afghan book to be written in English). The novel follows Amir , a boy living in Afghanistan with his father, Baba. The two have been living by themselves since Amir's mother died during childbirth. Well, not really alone. The servant, Ali, and his son, Hassan, live in a hut in the backyard. While they may be servants, Baba looks to them as family. Hassan and Amir grow up together and became friends.

As a child, Amir was always troubled. He felt that he didn't have his father's love, so he was constantly trying to win that love. Amir easily got jealous of Hassan, because Amir felt his father loved Hassan more, since Hassan was such a great athlete and such an honest person. But one day Amir witnesses an injustice done to Hassan, and although Amir could've stopped it from happening, he didn't.

Shortly afterwards Ali and Hassan leave, even though Baba pleads for them to stay. Amir watches as Hassan and Ali climb into their Mercedes and drive off, never to be seen by them again. Soon after that, Amir and Baba escape to the United States to get away from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

There, Amir graduated high school and went to junior college to become a writer. Amir ended up marrying a nice, pretty woman named Soraya. Shortly after the wedding, Baba dies of cancer. Amir is even more depressed when Soraya and he find out that they can't conceive a child.

Amir and Soraya keep on living life and the years passed. They led normal lives; he as a writer she as a teacher. They lived in a comfortable house with a dog. But one day, Amir's past caught up to him. He received a phone call from an old family friend, Rahim Khan, asking Amir to come to Pakistan.

Amir arrives in Pakistan to see his old friend close to death. But that's not why Khan asked Amir to come. The fact is that Hassan was killed by the Taliban a few months ago, along with his wife. The two left behind their son, Sohrab, who is living in an Afghan orphanage. Khan asks Amir to go find the boy and bring him back to Pakistan so he can live with a nice couple and get away from all of the death and destruction the Taliban has created in Afghanistan.

Amir decides he will go find the son of his late best friend. Only after saving this boy from all the evil in Afghanistan will Amir be saved from the sin he committed so long ago as a child.

This riveting and emotional story catches the readers from page one until the ending. The readers learn about the important history of Afghanistan and the impact of those events on its people. Hosseini wrote a true masterpiece in this novel. It is sure to please all who read it.

Phenomenal novel that nearly every reader will enjoy. Many tears were shed by yours truly by the time I finished this book. One of the best novels I have ever read. Complemented by "A Thousand Splendid Suns," which is written from the "female" perspective. Wow.

Excellent book. I enjoyed the insight into Afghanistan and the culture. Great read.

Loved it!

This book was ever so much better than I expected. Good story line with some detail about Afghanistan and their customs.

One boy is wealthy and privileged, the other is a servant and of the minority religion. It's a familiar story but made all the more interesting for me because of the setting: Afghanistan of 30 years ago.

Great book! Really got me interested in history-based fiction.

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I loved this book. Rarely do I get to see the people of Afghanastan in their normal lives, rather than in war torn video clips on the news. Heartbreaing story of a childhood friendship. Colorful and profound desciption of the rich culture. I didn't want to put it down.

Extremely interesting! A page turner to say the least! I was not able to put this book down!

A great book. Very intense.

Such an amazing book. Khaled Hosseini gave me goosebumps at times, because of his descriptions and the feeling that was portrayed through his characters!

not a hardcover

Though the listing cam up "hard cover," this edition is really more the fancy paperback...

Great storytelling

Excellent book. Really made the author's life real. Couldn't put it down.

Beautiful and Powerful story of an Afghani childhood. And much more.

gripping, extremely well written...

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