Holes Book Review

A Book Review by Kinley on Holes

An oldie but a goodie, but how did I go through Elementary School without reading this book or seeing the movie? When I was done reading it, we watched the movie. Wow, read on to know why you should read the book.  Please, don’t watch the movie first.  It’s awesome but books are always better. Did I mention that my mom and I started off reading it together (she’d already read it in her classroom years ago) and then I “accidentally” went and finished it. That’s how much I got sucked in. 

So, what’s it about?

For Stanley Yelnats, bad luck runs in the family. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time, again, and when convicted of stealing, he has the option to go to Camp Green Lake or jail. He decides to go to Camp Green Lake, who wouldn’t? Doesn’t it sound wonderful? Of course, if anybody knew what Camp Green Lake was really like, he or she would probably take jail. So because he didn’t know what it’s really like, he went with the camp. His expectations were high until he got there.

Where is the lake? It’s just empty, dry, and dirty. Instead of splashing in the water and canoeing, they have to build holes 5 feet wide and 5 feet deep. Everyday. Why? Nobody there knows, only the Warden. If they find anything interesting, they have to turn it in.

Right away, you’re thinking…”OOooooo…the warden is looking for something.” But you don’t find out until the end.  There are lots of clues, though, throughout the book. It’s kind of like a puzzle. There are lots of pieces and you need to see how they all fit together. Being a mystery lover, I enjoyed this book a lot. AND, it’s dog-approved, see?

 My favorite parts

Well, I can’t really tell you because I’d give away a lot but let me just say that it has to do with Stanley, Zero, and some peaches.  Look for it later in the book and you’ll know why it’s my favorite part.

I also like it when Stanley got his nickname in the group.  The boys in his hole digging group all have nicknames: Armpit, Magnet, Zero, Zigzag, X-Ray (didn’t care for him), and Squid. Stanley was feeling so left out when he got there and it was great when he became one of the boys and got his nickname.  I won’t tell you what it is, though.

The other thing that was neat was that the author, Louis Sachar, kept going back in time to tell stories from a long time ago. For instance, one chapter would be Stanley digging a hole and then the next could be a story about his, “no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.” It could be a little confusing if you’re not used to flipping back and forth in time, but I thought it was neat.

Favorite character

And best of all, my favorite character, Kissing Kate Barlow. She holds lots of secrets about the holes and it is fascinating. Plus, she’s super tough, yet also sweet. She did bad things but you also feel sorry for her. Sounds confusing but you’ll understand.

All and all, so glad I finally read this book. I hope you found this book review helpful. Do yourself a favor and read it! And then watch the movie.

Best Quote: “Stanley, you may have done some bad things, but that doesn’t make you a bad kid.” So true.

THE END

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