Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

When I first read the back cover of the Kite Runner, all I saw were flattering reviews of a book claimed to be a good story of modern Afghanistan. Yet the story is far from a simple novel regarding the Middle East. Kite Runner covers the themes of betrayal, love, father and son, man's humanity to man and many others. The story revolves around the privileged life of Amir, the narrator, and his friend Hassan. The cast system between the two boys becomes more evident as the years pass, despite the fathers Baba and Ali (Amir and Hassan's respectively) being childhood friends for years. Amir is always jealous of Baba's love for Hassan, and at one point in the story, Hassan eventually turns out to be the sacrificial lamb. Without spoiling the story or plot characters, it would be safe to say that Kite Runner is everything good that the reviews mentioned. As an honest human being, I must say I was not intrigued at first, yet the book drew me in with considerable ease after the second page. This paltry review cannot do any justice to the great book Kite Runner is, as well as the emotions it will bring to rise. Your media-fed perception of Afghanistan and the Middle East will be shattered. Humanity, sorrow and memories persist from the land of birth, far to the reaches of America, as well as the orphaned seed of a murdered friend.