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holmfridurhp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
thelosersuicides's review against another edition
5.0
When people say this book breaks your heart, it's an understatement.
This book rips it of your chest an rips it, bandages it just enough break it and leave you feeling empty inside. Dare I say this broke my heart more than the Kite Runner
This book rips it of your chest an rips it, bandages it just enough break it and leave you feeling empty inside. Dare I say this broke my heart more than the Kite Runner
winkchainsword's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
nicolee22's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
jaivardhan04's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
ruhi_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
hollyr1999's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
I read this to learn more about a group of people i grew up taught to hate. This was heart wrenching and disturbing immediately and as the story progressed. It really brought personalization and means to connect with these characters that seem very accurate to real life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Abortion and Child abuse
Minor: Suicide and Child death
j1nxc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
a thousand splendid suns follows two women, mariam and laila, and their journey through the ever-changing country of afghanistan. mariam was married off to an abusive man named rasheed at a young age. laila winds up in their household after her parents are killed and marries rasheed as well in order to protect herself and her unborn child. tons of abuse happens as mariam and laila grow older together and learn to love each other. eventually, mariam kills rasheed and is executed for her crime. laila gets a happy ending with her childhood best friend and father of her first child.
at first, i wasn't sure how i was going to feel about this story. i was excited to try something new, but my preferred genres aren't even close to this and i've found over the years that i don't like adventuring out of my romantasy bubble. however, this story absolutely blew my mind. it is absolutely heartwrenching every step of the way. literally five chapters in and mariam's mother commits suicide, which sends her spiraling down this negative path. mariam knows nothing of love for the majority of her life but finally experiences it after meeting laila and her children. she was still forced to give it up in order to give them the life they deserved. her story is nothing but tragic and every piece of me wishes so intensely that she could have gotten the happy ending she so deserved.
laila's character also broke me into pieces. similarly to mariam, she was forced into a marriage with rasheed (although the circumstances were wildly different) and suffers through the same abuse. rasheed was happy to be given two children, something that mariam could not provide, after losing his own son many years before. but still, this does not make him happy. it's extremely frustrating given the fact that he gave her an ultimatum and made her marry him, yet he's never happy with anything she does. in the end, laila got all the things that mariam deserved to experience as well. they both deserve the whole world and i'm so sad that mariam didn't get to grow old with laila and her kids. :(
the history and current events in this story were also very fascinating. afghanistan's history has never really been taught in schools, other than the taliban's involvement with 9/11, and i'm grateful that i got an insight into it. i think getting a history lesson like this while also crossing it with fiction actually helps to keep you engaged and retain information rather than being lectured about it in school or something like that. it's all very sad and eye-opening, and i'm glad that i've learned more about the country and the customs within the different cultural groups there.
i 100% recommend this book to anyone who is interested in it.
---
• ♡ ₊ ˚ pre-read ‧ ₊ ✧
buddy read with komy!! super excited to get into this :)
at first, i wasn't sure how i was going to feel about this story. i was excited to try something new, but my preferred genres aren't even close to this and i've found over the years that i don't like adventuring out of my romantasy bubble. however, this story absolutely blew my mind. it is absolutely heartwrenching every step of the way. literally five chapters in and mariam's mother commits suicide, which sends her spiraling down this negative path. mariam knows nothing of love for the majority of her life but finally experiences it after meeting laila and her children. she was still forced to give it up in order to give them the life they deserved. her story is nothing but tragic and every piece of me wishes so intensely that she could have gotten the happy ending she so deserved.
laila's character also broke me into pieces. similarly to mariam, she was forced into a marriage with rasheed (although the circumstances were wildly different) and suffers through the same abuse. rasheed was happy to be given two children, something that mariam could not provide, after losing his own son many years before. but still, this does not make him happy. it's extremely frustrating given the fact that he gave her an ultimatum and made her marry him, yet he's never happy with anything she does. in the end, laila got all the things that mariam deserved to experience as well. they both deserve the whole world and i'm so sad that mariam didn't get to grow old with laila and her kids. :(
the history and current events in this story were also very fascinating. afghanistan's history has never really been taught in schools, other than the taliban's involvement with 9/11, and i'm grateful that i got an insight into it. i think getting a history lesson like this while also crossing it with fiction actually helps to keep you engaged and retain information rather than being lectured about it in school or something like that. it's all very sad and eye-opening, and i'm glad that i've learned more about the country and the customs within the different cultural groups there.
i 100% recommend this book to anyone who is interested in it.
---
• ♡ ₊ ˚ pre-read ‧ ₊ ✧
buddy read with komy!! super excited to get into this :)
tashac's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
ruhh's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0