Scan barcode
meeshkageorge's review against another edition
3.0
Name: Michelle Muro
Citation: Gantos, J. (2002). Hole in my life. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
Genre: Informational
Award: Printz Honor
Format: Print
Selection Process: YALSA website
Review:
During the 1970s, all Jack Gantos wanted was to become a writer, a way into college, and a little adventure. However, the adventure he got changed his whole life. A drug dealer by the name of Rik offered him ten thousand dollars to sail a boat filled with two thousand pounds of hashish from St. Croix to New York City. All Jack saw was the money and he quickly agreed. It was the adventure he was waiting for and a great amount of cash he could use for school. Jack and his partners made it all the way to the Chelsea Hotel in New York City until federal agents found them.
Gantos is to the point, but describes his time leading to prison and his time in prison almost objectively. This small part of his past allows the reader to see a snapshot of the 1970s and the hardships in prison. The reader learns how Gantos changed from wanting to write to actually writing as he scribbles between the lines of prison library books to hide his thoughts. This memoir is a great for high school readers, especially boys, as they have that desire for adventure like Gantos did. This may help readers to choose the right adventures.
Recommend
Citation: Gantos, J. (2002). Hole in my life. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
Genre: Informational
Award: Printz Honor
Format: Print
Selection Process: YALSA website
Review:
During the 1970s, all Jack Gantos wanted was to become a writer, a way into college, and a little adventure. However, the adventure he got changed his whole life. A drug dealer by the name of Rik offered him ten thousand dollars to sail a boat filled with two thousand pounds of hashish from St. Croix to New York City. All Jack saw was the money and he quickly agreed. It was the adventure he was waiting for and a great amount of cash he could use for school. Jack and his partners made it all the way to the Chelsea Hotel in New York City until federal agents found them.
Gantos is to the point, but describes his time leading to prison and his time in prison almost objectively. This small part of his past allows the reader to see a snapshot of the 1970s and the hardships in prison. The reader learns how Gantos changed from wanting to write to actually writing as he scribbles between the lines of prison library books to hide his thoughts. This memoir is a great for high school readers, especially boys, as they have that desire for adventure like Gantos did. This may help readers to choose the right adventures.
Recommend
readwithpassion's review against another edition
5.0
An incredibly well-written autobiography, Hole in my Life describes Jack Gantos' adolescent years--and how he received a jail sentence of up to six years in federal prison. My favorite part about this book is how Gantos describes his aspirations to be a writer. He includes numerous characters from classic novels in his descriptions of himself and others around him. Great book.
intovertedbooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
I came across this book in my son’s school library...mind you, he’s in 5th grade. I started reading it to see if it was appropriate for him to read (it was definitely not) and ended up enjoying it myself. It was a good story I just felt it ended very abruptly. I’m not sure how quickly he wrote this after leaving prison but I expected a little more about his life after prison and it just wasn’t there. Glad I read it tho, and I’m REALLY glad my 10 year old did not
barbarianlibarian's review against another edition
3.0
after reading some Gantos last summer I wondered if it was autobiographical at all. so I looked him up and found this memoir. it sat on my to-read pile, getting renewed a thousand times until I finally felt guilty enough to pick it up the other day. it started a little slow, but picked up by the end.
mirable's review against another edition
4.0
References are a little dated for today's teens, but they should get the message anyway.
caitcoy's review against another edition
4.0
Jack Gantos' writing for kids is so funny and warm that it's almost hard to believe all that he went through as a young man! In Hole in My Life, Gantos talks about his teenage years in St. Croix and how unrest on that island led to him making a reckless decision that ultimately landed him in prison for 15 months. Gantos was by no means a troubled kid. He worked for his dad, got decent grades and was motivated by the desire to be a writer. But even normal kids can make stupid decisions and Gantos decides to help smuggle a load of hash from St. Croix to New Jersey and ends up being prosecuted for it. How uses literature and writing to deal with the day-to-day trials of prison life and eventually get out made for a fascinating story. I really enjoyed seeing a different side to Gantos and it's definitely one I'd recommend it you enjoy his stories!
sprucewillow's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
3.0
Entertaining. I enjoyed the conversational tone of the writing. I did not take anything significant from this book but I don't regret reading it.
I recommend reading this in print as the audiobook recording doesn't do the writing justice.
I recommend reading this in print as the audiobook recording doesn't do the writing justice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Self harm, Alcohol, and Rape
Minor: Homophobia
icecreamjane's review against another edition
4.0
Super simple summary: The very true story of this author's decent into smuggling dope, going to prison, and getting out. It's very real, very gritty, very interesting. Crazy, crazy stuff.