Holes: The iconic childhood-defining phenomenon

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.

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!

Excellent book for adults and children over 9 approx.

Very pleased - just what I wanted. As always, purchasing from Amazon was easy and delivery was super fast!

Amazing book. Hard to put down. Great Story

Good. Daughter loves the book

Good book, used for school

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 read this to my 9 year old son. He didn't I'm want me to stop reading. He loved it

red it in two sittings, couldn't put it down. quite a bizarre premise on one hand but fascinating at the same time. No plot spoliers here, just resd it - you wont regret it.

Kağıt kalitesi çok kötü maalesef. Bu kalitede ürüne bu fiyat çok fazla.

子供の洋書デビューに買いましたが、親の私がハマってしまいました。ちょっと不思議なこの本の世界観がたまらないです。読み始めは、どういう世界なのか、何が起きているのか、よく分からないですが、読み進めていくうちにグングン引き込まれていって止まらなくなります。

the book was amazing, the plot was amazing, everything was amazing