Holes, a well filled in book (Holes - Louis Sachar)

Member Name: nevikrose

Product:	Holes - Louis Sachar
Date:	05/12/07 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: clever little book, packed full of themes and elements for discussion and thought

Disadvantages: Sometimes a little too sweet

Stanley Yelnats never has much luck, in fact his whole family seem to be having a generational run of bad luck, there is a possibility that he is the decendant of a man who forgot to fulfil his promise to a wise woman and so cursed whole generations of his family. But his mother has never believed that.
So Stanley is not all that surprised when he is arrested for a crime he is innocent of and sent to the desert to a correctional facility. There he and the other boys have to dig holes, every single day.
When Stanley gets wind that they are not simply there to build character but to dig something unknown up, Stanley hatches a plan to make his life easier. That is, until his best friend at the camp decides to run away.

Holes is often used in the classroom, and it is really not hard to see why. It is an amazingly clever book, introducing some hard hitting themes, and some very emotional ideas.

The setting of 'Holes' is Texas, America, at Camp Green Lake, jeuvanile correctional facility. Wrongdoers are sent to build character by digging one hole each day, five feet deep and five feet across....It is this landscape that creates the sense of adventure, which is strengthened through the solid plot development. Sachar addresses some quite difficult issues, in a manner that avoids hindering the plot with a didactic message or a predictable ending. He explores issues like cause and effect of actions in several ways throughout the story along with the issue of fate and destiny. The author also has a stab at tackling racism in the past and contrasting it with the lack of racism at the modern day camp.
The text can be acutely aware of itself in places, posing specific questions directly to the reader, that are challenging and thought provoking, this could prove an interesting stimulus for the reader. The specific example that stands out is following a flashback that tells the story of the murder of Kate Barlow's love, Sam. The reader is asked to think about who God really punished, after the same judgement was given to Kate and Sam themselves in the preceding chapter.


Many of the characters have a distinct voice, well represented in the text. The dialogue breaks up the narrative and Sachar uses it to provide a good indication to each character's thoughts and feelings, as the story is told through third person narrative, which, apart from some historical flashbacks, is focused solely from the perspective of the main protagonist Stanley. Sachar also uses foreshadowing and flashbacks that create suspense and anticipation to provide an intriguing narrative style

The themes of 'Holes' are challenging and varied, ranging from familiar childhood issues such as bullying and peer acceptance, found in many works of children's literature, to social issues such as homelessness, illiteracy and the importance of learning.

I enjoyed Holes a lot. I think its challenging themes are hinted at, leaving a lot of room for discussion, without weighing down the book or the plot. It is very carefully woven and the first time I read it I did not see most of the plot twists coming.
This is a good book for children who do not want to make the step into fantasy, It is set in the real world, but so far removed from anything they are likely to experience that it is almost complete fantasy. The introduction of the idea of destiny and fate also leave a door open into the mystical, but Stanley's mother's attitude to the curse story demonstrates that it is ok to be sceptical

Louis Sachar also wrote the survival guide for camp green lake 'written by Stanley' that might be good further reading for fans of the book.

Summary: A fantastic book to get children and adults reading something a bit different.