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Reviews tagging 'Blood'
The Kite Runner: Graphic Novel by Mirka Andolfo, Tommaso Valsecchi, Khaled Hosseini, Fabio Celoni
6 reviews
lawbooks600's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Score: Seven out of ten.
Okay. This one was brutal. I liked this illustrated adaptation of The Kite Runner, but I don't want to reread this one. I only saw it on a library display shelf a few days ago and decided to pick it up. I glanced at the intriguing blurb, and when I closed the final page, I enjoyed it, but it was heartrending.
This specific version of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (with artwork from Fabio Celoni and Mirka Andolfo) starts with Amir in the 1970s living his life in Afghanistan, but most prominently, he spends some of his time flying and fighting other kites. That is until the Soviets invade Afghanistan, forcing him to flee to America, but that is only one part of the narrative. The first half or so focuses on Amir's life in Afghanistan, which can be difficult for him sometimes, because of expectations from his father rooted in toxic masculinity, like having to physically fight off people, when Amir would rather read and even write a book. Scratch that. It was a lot more than difficult. The second half, lasting only a few pages, revolves around Amir living in America in the 1980s, then going back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in the early 2000s in the bittersweet final pages, which looks entirely different to the Afghanistan he knew.
I don't know where to begin with The Kite Runner, but I'll try: I mostly liked the art, except the intense and graphic scenes that appeared sometimes, which were harder to read. I liked the characters, especially Amir, as he developed his character, and showed traits I appreciated. I know this edition of The Kite Runner is less than 150 pages, making it short, it still uses every page and nothing goes to waste. The only white space are the margins. The pacing is swift, too. I liked this one, and wonder what the original is like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, War, Death of parent, Bullying, Racism, and Death
Full trigger warnings: Racism, death of a father from a terminal illness, blood, grief and loss depiction, physical assault and injury, bullying, military violence and war themes, displacement, refugee experiencesmoonchildjuli's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual violence, Gore, Grief, Death of parent, Rape, Physical abuse, Alcohol, War, Ableism, Suicide, Blood, Violence, Death, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
kpeps's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Heart wrenching plot coupled with beautiful graphics for a gorgeous yet devastating read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Racism, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Trafficking, Rape, Death of parent, and Blood
laffi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Rape, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Death
Moderate: War, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Cursing, Pregnancy, and Cultural appropriation
contemporarymeepsie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This retelling of Khalid Hosseini's The Kite Runner brings to life the childhood friends Amir and Hassan. These best friends experience a harrowing event that throw both of their worlds in to chaos. When Russian invades and Amir and his father are forced to flee Afganistan their worlds divide and go in opposite directions. But years later Amir is offered an opportunity for redemption and returns to Kabul during the reign of the Taliban to save Hassan's son.
This story is a classic tale of childhood friendship, trauma and the consequences of guilt, shame and fear. The graphic novel does a good job at condensing such a complex and heart-wrenching novel in to 132 pages. I did feel it felt a bit rushed but every important story beat was hit and I was able to fly through this graphic novel in one sitting. I do wonder how it would read if you didn't already know the story beforehand like I did.
The art style wasn't my favourite but that is personal preference and the illustrations were clear and concise. Colouring changed with the tone of the story which I appreciated and I enjoyed the monochrome palettes used in the flashback and trauma scene. I would give a warning to anyone wanting to read this as the book clearly depicts a child rape although it isn't explicit, it is clear that is what is happening. Its a heavy theme throughout but for an unexpecting individual it could be quite upsetting given the visual nature of a graphic novel.
This story is a classic tale of childhood friendship, trauma and the consequences of guilt, shame and fear. The graphic novel does a good job at condensing such a complex and heart-wrenching novel in to 132 pages. I did feel it felt a bit rushed but every important story beat was hit and I was able to fly through this graphic novel in one sitting. I do wonder how it would read if you didn't already know the story beforehand like I did.
The art style wasn't my favourite but that is personal preference and the illustrations were clear and concise. Colouring changed with the tone of the story which I appreciated and I enjoyed the monochrome palettes used in the flashback and trauma scene. I would give a warning to anyone wanting to read this as the book clearly depicts a child rape although it isn't explicit, it is clear that is what is happening. Its a heavy theme throughout but for an unexpecting individual it could be quite upsetting given the visual nature of a graphic novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, War, Violence, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Bullying, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, and Blood
Minor: Terminal illness
yeeperdoodles's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Blood, Death, Pedophilia, Racism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying
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