Holes By Louis Sachar

Mitunes - John Williams' Hymn To The Fallen From Saving Private Ryan

Holes by Louis Sachar
Genre: YA/ Mystery
Publisher: Yearling Books
Release Date: April 30th, 2000
Pages: 272

Stanley Yelnats isn't so surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a juvenile detention center.  After all, his family has been ridden with bad luck ever since a one-legged gypsy put a curse on his great-great grandfather.  He is told that the hard labor he must perform...digging 5 foot holes in the dried up soil where Green Lake once sat...is meant to build character.  But is soon becomes clear to Stanley that the warden is really using the boys to search for something very valuable.  The story of the hidden treasure, alone with the warden, Stanley's friend Zero, and the curse on the Yelnats family are all part of a compelling puzzle that has taken generations to unravel.


Believe it or not I have never read Holes. I saw the movie once when I was much younger, so I had a bit of a basis to go by, though it mostly consists of Shia Labeouf running through the desert and an occasional cameo by Sigourney Weaver (Whom I love!).


I digress, I really enjoyed this book. I love stories like Sachar's where everything is laid out for you, questions are raised, certain things hint at others and by the time you have finished the novel you realize everything concludes in a wonderful little package. There is nothing to question, you understand where everything has come from and why things have happened and everything in the world of the story is a perfect little web.


What I really enjoyed about this book is that there are really two stories going on here. Not only is it a story of a bunch of boys stuck digging in the desert as a means of learning a hard lesson. It is also a long history of the camp and the people who had at one time inhabited the long lost lake. I LOVED that aspect of the story. There is so much heart and soul shared in that tale and it makes you appreciate the book so much more. 


Obviously this book has been around for quite some time - heck part of me feels like I may have been the last person to read it - but if you never read it in your youth you definitely should now. If you are looking for a quick read with great humor and a story filled with adventure and a lot of heart Holes definitely is the choice for you!