Holes
Ratings640
Average rating4
Love it love it love it
When you spend your whole life living in a hole, the only way you can go is up.
Louis Sachar is the type of writer who deserve JK Rowling-type legions to be following him. He deserves midnight openings for his books.
I've been a fan of his since I was in second grade (way back in ‘81 or ‘82...oh, christ, I'm old...and I read “Sideways Stories from Wayside School” for the first time.
My daughter's sixth grade class was reading Holes by Louis Sachar. I decided to read it too since I had never read the book, but liked the movie. This is a really wonderful book. It touches on so many important themes in really accessible ways. It's easy to read, but still compelling. I love the way everything works together in each character's backstory for a really satisfying connection. My daughter, who is usually an all-fantasy reader, really liked it too. It occured to me that this book might be considered magical realism. It's mostly realistic fiction, with interspersed historical fiction, but the element of the “curse” could be a bit of magical realism.
Good book for young audiences. Fast paced, super quick read and interesting throughout the whole story.
The ending is kind of the thing I didn't enjoy, seemed quite predictable and showed an extremely easy solution to the plot, which shows that it's a children's book.
3/5 • A book that has spent years on my TBR.
After probably 5+ years on my TBR I finally read Holes. I enjoyed the story and the relationships between the characters. As a high school teacher it's a book I can now confidently recommend to my junior students. I've watched the film several times and they did an excellent job with the adaptation from paper to on screen, so much so that I don't feel the need to revisit this book anytime soon.
so good. i loved the realization (that i had) at the end... would've loved to have studied this in school
Would recommend to any young adult fiction fans.
Funny and witty at times, a well written and well thought out novel.
I can't even tell you how many times I listened to this as a kid. This took me back and I loved it! There are a few lines here and there that didn't age particularly well, but tbh this book is kind of hard core. And for multiple plot threads wrapping up neatly? Can't be beat.
Really enjoyable read with many more layers than you'd expect (much like an onion
When I went to check out The Westing Game I noticed Holes nearby on the Newbery shelf and I said you know what, let me also re-read Holes while I'm here. And? It also holds up so good, damn. This book about race and class and the juvenile justice system still hits HARD while managing to not be completely bleak. And again, its lack of reliance on technology makes it seem un-dated.
Súper cute book although the premise of a child labor camp is kind of nuts. But just go with it. I love the structure and the protagonists are (mostly) pretty likable.
Would definitely recommend to a young person.
This was a great, economical adventure. Sometimes I find YA to set the quality bar too low, but this is a shining example of a story told well for a young audience, without sacrificing artistry. In fact, I preferred the YA angle on this tale, because in a novel for grown-ups, the descriptions of how bad the camp was, and the abuse from other inmates, would have gone on for, like, 150 soul-crushing pages. Sachar keeps it efficient, giving us enough detail so we know how bad conditions are, but without belaboring the point and getting too depressing.
He skillfully treads the line between pathos and whimsy throughout, and gives a satisfying ending that ties up every thread - even ones I didn't realize were still running through the story! There's a reason this is an award-winning book, and I recommend it to readers from middle grade through adulthood.
The way everything came together at the end gave me the same sense of wonder as the ending of A Prayer For Owen Meany did.
This book was a classic in my house and will be one that I'll reread from time to time. It isn't complicated, but tells the story of two young boys and their connection to each other and to the past. Entertaining and enjoyable. Nothing to fawn over, but just a good, enjoyable read.
Totally loved this book. I started reading this with my daughter and quickly became absorbed in the story. It was easy to empathize with Stanley and I really enjoyed the switching between current and historical times. My enjoyment increased as the book progressed and I especially found the ending very satisfying. A fantastic read!
I saw the movie first so it ruined the surprises in the book. But it was a fun quick story that made my day.
Funny songs, funny movies, funny books...these usually don't win prizes. Holes is a funny book that won prizes. But Holes is not funny in the way that Sideways Stories is funny; Holes is a quieter, sadder sort of funny.
Stanley Yelnats is sent to a camp for delinquent boys. He is said to have stolen a pair of celebrity shoes. All day long, Stanley digs holes as punishment.
But is that the real purpose of the digging of holes?
I loved this book. Everything comes together at the end in an unexpected way. Stanley grows from being a fat, scared kid into a fit, clever boy able to hold his own against all sorts of bad guys.