I'm really shocked I was never forced to read this in high school, and now that I have read it I'm upset I didn't get to it sooner.

But I will say that though I'm sure this would've moved me in high school, I think the themes resonate with me much more as an adult. And there are quite a lot of themes—friendship, class and familial struggle, betrayal, redemption—to name just a few. The "friendship" between Amir and Hassan is the real heart of the book, and the ways their relationship morphs over time, and still shapes them both even when they're separated, is moving, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking.

And though I should've seen it coming, I managed to once again be shocked by a twist—in a non-thriller, no less!

Spoiler

Learning that Amir and Hassan were half-brothers AFTER learning that Hassan was killed was an absolute gut punch, and certainly makes you (and Amir) ruminate about why social standing has any impact on the way we treat people. If Amir had known all along that his friend was related to him by blood, he would no doubt have treated him differently. But therein lies at least some of the point—he was allowed to treat Hassan badly because of the perceived (and kind of real) class difference between them, but he *should* have treated him as a brother all along because of the kinship they invented on their own and the ways in which Hassan sacrificed for him with no strings attached. It's a devastating revelation, like I said, but one that gives the narrative so much more power.

Which brings us to the other theme that had the most impact on me—the idea of redemption. Is it ever too late to make up for past sins? I think here we learn that it's not, and thought we can't always "right" the wrongs we've committed we can commit to causes that help us atone for them.

Spoiler

Amir's adoption of Sohrab (and the real hell he went through for it) is a very obvious attempt to atone, but it's surprisingly not super easy for Amir to win him over even with all he sacrifices to bring Sohrab to a better life in America. It has to be hard for it to be worth anything, and though it doesn't end with a typical ~happily ever after~ it does end on a hopeful note. And that's enough.

In addition to the emotional lessons, there was a lot to learn here about Afghanistan and the Middle East. But all that was familiar, in terms of friendship and family dynamics, made the book accessible and indeed important for any reader no matter their knowledge about Middle Eastern and Islamic culture.

Have I used the word heartbreaking enough? This was a heartbreaking read that still ended with the hope that comes from redemption, and a must-read for pretty much anyone.