Holes

Louis Sachar's Holes is a beloved classic in children's literature, and for good reason. This novel is a masterclass in storytelling, combining elements of adventure, mystery, and social commentary to create an engaging and memorable narrative that appeals to readers of all ages. Initially recommended to me by an author of a writing tutorial book, Holes quickly struck a chord with its familiar yet fresh storytelling. I soon realized that I had seen the movie adaptation of Holes, which only deepened my appreciation for Sachar's original work. As the writing tutorial author suggested, this book is a treasure trove of writing techniques, making it an excellent study for aspiring writers. The story follows Stanley Yelnats, a boy who is wrongfully sent to a labor camp where he and other boys are forced to dig holes in the desert. The plot masterfully weaves together multiple storylines, including the history of Stanley's family curse and the mysterious outlaw Kissing Kate Barlow. Through these interwoven tales, Sachar explores themes of fate, justice, and redemption. What makes Holes particularly remarkable is its accessibility. The language is straightforward and clear, making it easy for younger readers to follow, while the depth of the narrative ensures that older readers remain engaged. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their unique quirks and backstories that add richness to the plot.

looking forward to reading this book myself. arrived quickly. Really good condition.

Louis Sachar's fantasy tale of a boy, Stanley Yelnats VI, is one of friendship, of trust and of digging holes. Stanley is convicted of a crime and sent to Camp Green Lake, which is neither green nor has a lake, and is told to dig a hole each day `to make a bad boy turn good' but Stanley thinks otherwise... Although the novel started slowly it quickly drew me in wanting to know what happened next. It is a very memorable story with quick flashbacks to the past to explain the situation. It's very easy to read and I found the only problem with the book was that I gobbled it up too quickly! The brook created great suspense and I found the story well structured and well rounded but you'll have to fill in the other holes yourself...

Stanley Yelnats, overweight, bullied at school, and generally unlucky in life is found guilty of stealing a pair of sneakers he never took. He is sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake, a correctional facility for young offenders. Camp Green Lake is in the middle of the desert - nothing is green and there hasn't been a lake there for 110 years. All that is there now is holes, lots of holes, and more holes are being dug every day by the unlucky "campers"; each hole being exactly five feet deep and five feet across. Who is to blame for Stanley's misfortune? Well, if you asked Stanley he would probably blame his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather" who was cursed by a wise woman a long time ago. I had never heard of this book until I saw it in the Kindle Summer Sale and I have subsequently found out that it is considered a modern classic in American children's literature. It well deserves that status as this book is brilliant - in fact it is better than that! It has become in one reading one of my all time favourite children's books. The deceptively simple plot is set both in the present day and 110 years ago when Green Lake was a thriving community. It just pulls you along for page after page until suddenly quite near the end, everything links up and in one flash of brilliance, it all makes perfect, wonderful and quite emotionally satisfying sense! There are just so many parts of the story that link up and loop back and join together that you will find yourself wondering how you missed them all and what others there are still to find! Absolute genius! The Kindle presentation is perfect. There are no formatting or typographical errors at all and even the few illustrations in the book are faithfully reproduced on the Kindle. Overall: 5 stars - This book is wonderful! No matter what your age, read it for yourself and find out just how good it is!

BUY THIS BOOK! My son came home from school last term with Pig City and didn't really want to even start it. I read the first couple of chapters out loud to him and then when I said he could have a later bedtime IF he did 29 mins reading he started reading it to himself. Well, 20 minutes went by, then 30, then and hour - he was hooked. He finished the book in a few stints and came into my bedroom crying - the book had got to his heart and he was wanting more! I ordered Holes immediately! I read the first chapter to myself (just to check that it wasn't going to put him off...) 20 minutes went by, then 30,then an hour... In 2 days I had read the book myself - it was absolutely brilliant. My son read it over the Christmas holidays and finished it last night. We both wept at the end - and now we're searching for more books! I have never been an avid reader, just the odd book here and there. My spelling is terrible and I've often though that's partly because I didn't read when I was a child or teen - we didn't have amazon reviews and I rarely found a book that suited me. Now my son and I have found our genre - kids' books! Not too long, page turning excitement, serious and an emotional. Louis Sachar, thank you!

I bought this for my daughter, who is in year 5, as they are reading it together as a class. I thought I'd read it first. Even though it's for kids/ young teens (and personally I think 12 would be a good age to read it), I absolutely loved reading it. I even found it more enjoyable than many adult books. The plot flows well, I could really visualise it, it had twists and turns and of course, a really great ending. In true kid book fashion, the figures of authority are evil and get their comeuppance, though I don't want to ruin the story. I also watched the movie and unusually, it was practically the same as the book. I've never seen such a close depiction of a book on screen before. A few minor differences but not vital ones. Amazing. Highly recommend this book to adventure-loving kids and their parents.

An un-put-down-able read. Despite it's challenging early chapters and many points of discord, it really is worth persevering with this book. I metaphorically scratched my head early on in this book, but everything became clear as the story developed. I also learnt to relax about what seemed like perpetuations of poor-taste, but which are actually useful discussion points. The author's analysis in this edition shed some light on why the book was written as it is, which was extremely helpful to understand. Bought for reading alongside a 10-year old.

You come across a book every now and you say, wow! This is one of them. The narrative is written in a seemingly simple style - short sentences, simple words. But then you begin to appreciate the skill of the author in creating such an array of vivid characters and beguiling plot. A bit like an allegory from Aesops fables or a classic like 'Catcher in the Rye'. The core plot is about a poor lad called Stanley Yelnats - he comes from a long line of Stanley Yelnats because the family likes that Yelnats is Stanley backwards. Through no fault of his own, he finds himself imprisoned in a desert 'camp' that forces the prisoners to dig a large hole every single day in the blistering sun. But the Warden has her own agenda as well, that is linked to Stanley's ancestors and family history. This family history is skilfully interwoven with the main plot and slowly provides context to Stanley's current circumstance. Eventually, Stanley shows his true character in the form of heroic deeds to help his friend 'Zero' and the plot lines converge to a satisfying end. A lovely book that I would highly recommend if you fancy reading something away from the mainstream.