The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner

Reviewed By: Jessica C.
By: Khaled Hosseini
Rating: Really liked it

The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, is a great powerful novel that portrays an emotional relationship between two boys who learn to sacrifice for each other throughout their entire lives. Over time, they start to drift apart- the main character moving to the US and being used to Western culture while his friend stays in the Middle East still used to Afghan traditions. In the end, they meet in Afghanistan and work together in order to provide safety for their new families during times of war (no hope in sight). From birth to death, the two mature into men, overcoming life challenges together in a chaotic world full of jealousy, heartbreak, and greed. Hosseini wrote this story to illustrate part of his own personal background, which related amongst many people living in America now as immigrants from other countries, especially the Middle East. The infamous line of the story (used also in the movie created later on), “For you, a thousand times over,” indicates how sacrifice and honesty can build greater connections with people than any other material-like things within our lives. Throughout much of the story, themes like love, tension, and redemption occur in a repeated pattern to emphasize how each of the characters in the story shift from one characterization to another, often experiencing traumatic moments that are forever embedded within their memories. Due to these symbolic messages that Hosseini mentions often, this story teaches the readers that many challenges can be conquered as long as we persevere and commit to the beliefs that motivate us for the final goal: peace, harmony, and union. Just like how the kite in the story mirrors the character’s fight for freedom and victory, people are able to bring about change for a certain cause as long as they work together to the end.

I would recommend this to: All teen readers