The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is a raw and eye-opening novel about a of story redemption. It told about current struggles happening in Afghanistan and some of the other Middle Eastern countries. I can’t say that I loved the novel, but it gave me a new perspective and definitely changed my outlook on life.

The story tells about the life of the main character, an Afghanistan named Amir, and how one event changed his life. Amir grew up in Kabul along with Baba (his father), Ali (his family’s servant), and Hassan (Ali’s son). His youth was filled with playing and growing up with Hassan. One day, Amir sees Hassan getting bullied, but he didn’t try to help him. Amir becomes embarrassed and ashamed that he didn’t have the courage to help Hassan. Eventually Amir and his father move to America. After being in America for twenty years, Amir visits Afghanistan and is able to redeem himself from not helping Hassan when he was younger.

The story was very well written and was interesting to read. It was easy to picture what Hosseini was trying to depict. The author was able to make the events seem. The book contained a few unpredictable events and it always kept me on my toes. There were a few events that were really sad and depressing. The events were so despondent that I found myself not wanting to continue reading at times. Also, I didn’t enjoy how the author ended the story. I wish he would have elaborated more on the last event and tied up more loose ends. I would have liked to have known what happened with some of the other characters too. I did enjoy how it ended on a happier note, but I would have liked to have seen how they were doing. It kept me wondering and thinking on the different possible outcomes for many days after I had finished reading the book. I wouldn’t recommend this book for just anyone because there was depressing and mature content. This book is for adults and mature teens who are capable of reading an intense novel.

Overall, I was glad I read this book. It opened my eyes to the current struggles of Afghanistan and how the Taliban terrorize the people. I discovered how badly people in Afghanistan have it. It was interesting to see how much the country had changed in Amir’s lifetime and what the people had to do to survive. This made me realize how lucky and blessed I am to live in the United States, where there is freedom and peace.