Quick disclaimer: The Kite Runner is quite graphic, so for those who are more sensitive to certain topics like rape and violence, I suggest you tread with caution. Kite flying is the least brutal thing in this novel. The goal is to cut other kites down using the string of your own kite, which has glass shards glued to it. This is a book for young adults, and I read it for a high school class. This book is more fun to read when you’re able to discuss the events in the book with others, so reading it with a friend or two may be a great option.īTSYA / Teen Reader (16): In Afghanistan, kite flying is a national sport, though it’s a little different than what you would probably expect. It is well-paced to keep the reader interested but without overwhelming them with detail. The story touches on friendship, betrayal, warfare, and race, but with a plot that is easy to follow. Somehow, throughout all of that, it manages to keep a hopeful tone for the future.

The story showcases how family secrets can haunt someone, and how guilt can change a person. Reading this book requires emotional maturity because of its themes of death, suicide, and poverty. Amir struggles to come to grips with his betrayal of Hassan, and he returns to Kabul after he learns of his friend's death.īTSYA Teen Reader (16): The Kite Runner is full of both hope and grief. As the book continues, Amir's guilt about this and other traumas affect his perspectives. On the way to Amir, Hassan is stopped and Amir watches the brutal violence against his friend but does not interfere or save him. When he wins, he sends Hassan to go get it for him. Desperate for his father's affection, Amir enters a kite-flying contest. The story flashes back to the 1960s and 1970s when he lived in Kabul with Baba (his father) Hassan, who is a servant and his best friend and Hassan's father.

In the 1980s, he came to live in the United States.

Diverse Easy Reader | Illustrated ChapterĪmir, an Afghani émigré, narrates his life's story.

Kite runner story summary