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msflynnreads's review against another edition
4.0
Probably more accurately 3.5 but I couldn't justify giving it 3 stars on the scale. Really interesting and well written memoir.
valskud's review against another edition
5.0
I'm changing my review to 5 stars. I love this book and the audio.
stephen_coulon's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘺 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 (2002) by Jack Gantos, the award winning author of the Rotten Ralph series of children’s books. Gantos departs from his typical audience for this memoir in which he recounts his trouble-filled adolescence that eventually landed him in federal prison for drug trafficking after a harrowing ordeal as a crewmate aboard a dope smugglers boat in the early 70s. Gantos lets this exciting story tell itself, with a candid and unadorned honesty. Of note is his exploration of his love for literature which is the one element of refinement and sublimity he had in his otherwise abased and prosaic adolescence, a trait that ultimately allowed him to glimpse and aim for a lifestyle elevated above the feral existence of his youth. In short, this is a story of how books saved a person’s life. It’s quick, engaging, and inspirational.
jessreads82's review against another edition
5.0
I'd never heard of this book before I found it for under $1 at a thrift store...but I feel like it should've been given more attention. This memoir recounts the early adulthood of John Gantos, when he was arrested for smuggling hashish into the US, and he was sent to a federal prison.
What I found so great about this book was Mr. Gantos honesty, and simple, yet brilliant, prose. Before he was arrested he dreamed of becoming a writer, but he felt he had nothing interesting in his life to write about. I loved his shameless affection for older writers, and how candid he was about his own lack of completed work, even though he dreamed of writing.
Great, and quick read, I recommend it to everyone!
What I found so great about this book was Mr. Gantos honesty, and simple, yet brilliant, prose. Before he was arrested he dreamed of becoming a writer, but he felt he had nothing interesting in his life to write about. I loved his shameless affection for older writers, and how candid he was about his own lack of completed work, even though he dreamed of writing.
Great, and quick read, I recommend it to everyone!
lavvynder's review against another edition
4.0
Coming of Age/Memoire
Gantos tells the story of how a few poor choices left him in prison not long after graduating high school. Beginning with leaving his family and surviving on his own for his later teen years he begins to drink, and then he starts to smoke marijuana. He wants to go to college but he was lacking the money and after his friend lost $200 of his hard earned money he returned to his family. While working for his father building shipping crates he is presented with an opportunity to smuggle a large amount of hash to New York. After he and his shipmate Hamilton arrive in New York and sell most of the Marijuana they get caught. Jack runs from the FBI and the police but eventually turns himself in. No one believes his story, that he was just a guy who made a bad choice. He ends up serving in prison and experiences the horror of what crime can really do to people, and he wants nothing but to get out. After failing to make probation after serving several months he is given two years until his next court appeal. Instead of waiting around for the time to pass he applies for a college in New York and he is accepted. An appeal is sent and he makes probation before Christmas and just in time to start the semester in January.
I really liked the story. I was surprised at how the court treated his case (especially for someone so young). I was immediately relieved when Gantos was permitted to work as the x-ray technician, and essentially escaped the reality of gen pop. But as he made his mistakes that led him to his prison sentence, I could not help but feel sorry for him. The decisions he made were a result of his passion for more learning; although, this does not justify his crime. I think that this story can be a lesson to help the world understand that some young adults only end up in trouble because they find no other way to make it. I would definitely have this book in my high school classroom.
Gantos tells the story of how a few poor choices left him in prison not long after graduating high school. Beginning with leaving his family and surviving on his own for his later teen years he begins to drink, and then he starts to smoke marijuana. He wants to go to college but he was lacking the money and after his friend lost $200 of his hard earned money he returned to his family. While working for his father building shipping crates he is presented with an opportunity to smuggle a large amount of hash to New York. After he and his shipmate Hamilton arrive in New York and sell most of the Marijuana they get caught. Jack runs from the FBI and the police but eventually turns himself in. No one believes his story, that he was just a guy who made a bad choice. He ends up serving in prison and experiences the horror of what crime can really do to people, and he wants nothing but to get out. After failing to make probation after serving several months he is given two years until his next court appeal. Instead of waiting around for the time to pass he applies for a college in New York and he is accepted. An appeal is sent and he makes probation before Christmas and just in time to start the semester in January.
I really liked the story. I was surprised at how the court treated his case (especially for someone so young). I was immediately relieved when Gantos was permitted to work as the x-ray technician, and essentially escaped the reality of gen pop. But as he made his mistakes that led him to his prison sentence, I could not help but feel sorry for him. The decisions he made were a result of his passion for more learning; although, this does not justify his crime. I think that this story can be a lesson to help the world understand that some young adults only end up in trouble because they find no other way to make it. I would definitely have this book in my high school classroom.
yodalover8's review against another edition
4.0
REQUIRED CATEGORY
Jack Gantos' memoir is fascinating! It documents his experience of graduating high school and later getting involved with a drug dealer. He starts smuggling and selling drugs in the United States because he wants to get money to pay for college. He truly embodies the phrase, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Though Gantos acknowledges he made many mistakes in his youth, it is also clear that he is not a bad person. He is trying to forge a new life for himself, but he gets caught and ends up going to prison. Gantos shows young adults some of the horrors of prison, but shields them from others. Though some of the content is challenging, I found the story to ultimately be very uplifting as Gantos is eventually released from prison and goes to college. I would recommend this to young adults because I don't think it advocates drug use or crime, but I think it clearly teaches about the power of choices and the lasting influence of consequences.
One question I had from reading Gantos' memoir was about the role of regret. Does the text show that he regrets the choices that led him to prison? When he spends his first few days in prison and hears about the rape of his co-hort, that appears to be Gantos' first signs of regret. Prior to that, even when he was facing a trial and returned to New York, Gantos seemed blase. He recognized that he had done something illegal without feeling remorse. The longer he stays in prison, the more injuries he witnesses, and the less hope he has, the more his regret builds. Surprisingly at the end of the memoir, Gantos traces everything he presently loves about his life to his experience in prison. He says that the only way he could become the writer he is was by going to prison. He seems to suggest that he doesn't regret all of his mistakes because it has caused him to evolve into. This offers hope to readers--young and old--who have made poor choices. Gantos' life stands as a witness that there is life and rehabilitation after drastic mistakes. He shows that there is always hope, which is something I wasn't expecting when I picked up this memoir about a teenager in prison.
I really enjoyed this memoir. I would suggest it to young readers, but I have realized that sexual and drug content combined with language are offensive to some readers. I do not know if I would give a blanket recommendation of this story, but I would feel comfortable recommending it to certain individuals who are in middle and high school.
Jack Gantos' memoir is fascinating! It documents his experience of graduating high school and later getting involved with a drug dealer. He starts smuggling and selling drugs in the United States because he wants to get money to pay for college. He truly embodies the phrase, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Though Gantos acknowledges he made many mistakes in his youth, it is also clear that he is not a bad person. He is trying to forge a new life for himself, but he gets caught and ends up going to prison. Gantos shows young adults some of the horrors of prison, but shields them from others. Though some of the content is challenging, I found the story to ultimately be very uplifting as Gantos is eventually released from prison and goes to college. I would recommend this to young adults because I don't think it advocates drug use or crime, but I think it clearly teaches about the power of choices and the lasting influence of consequences.
One question I had from reading Gantos' memoir was about the role of regret. Does the text show that he regrets the choices that led him to prison? When he spends his first few days in prison and hears about the rape of his co-hort, that appears to be Gantos' first signs of regret. Prior to that, even when he was facing a trial and returned to New York, Gantos seemed blase. He recognized that he had done something illegal without feeling remorse. The longer he stays in prison, the more injuries he witnesses, and the less hope he has, the more his regret builds. Surprisingly at the end of the memoir, Gantos traces everything he presently loves about his life to his experience in prison. He says that the only way he could become the writer he is was by going to prison. He seems to suggest that he doesn't regret all of his mistakes because it has caused him to evolve into. This offers hope to readers--young and old--who have made poor choices. Gantos' life stands as a witness that there is life and rehabilitation after drastic mistakes. He shows that there is always hope, which is something I wasn't expecting when I picked up this memoir about a teenager in prison.
I really enjoyed this memoir. I would suggest it to young readers, but I have realized that sexual and drug content combined with language are offensive to some readers. I do not know if I would give a blanket recommendation of this story, but I would feel comfortable recommending it to certain individuals who are in middle and high school.
briaravenuebooks's review against another edition
3.0
I can appreciate the honesty of this story and the struggle that the author went through. I cringed at some of the more graphic recounting of his prison life, but I knew they were necessary for readers to understand the horrors the author experienced. While I didn't love this book, I can appreciate the writing style, honesty, and complete turn-around the author made in his life.
kait2lyn's review against another edition
2.0
Hole in My Life is a memoir of Jack Gantos, written about his teenage years, and his experience becoming involved in a large-scale shipment of drugs and their subsequent distribution, which led to his arrest. Jack is bright, and has dreams of becoming a writer. That being said, he doesn't seem to fit in with his peers and does't excel in school the way that he has the potential to. He's kind of a loner and a troublemaker, even though he doesn't seem to have any real reason for being that way. For much of the book, Jack is alone, even though he has a family who love and support him. I wasn't really impressed with this book, because I didn't have any sympathy for Jack or the situation he got himself into. It has a lot of the tropes that show up again and again in young adult literature with male protagonists--he's smart, but doesn't apply himself in school; he feels misunderstood, even though there are people who want to understand him; and he finds solace in words. The sailing trip portion was exciting, but I didn't feel bad for Jack landing himself in jail. Had he used the intelligence he was given, and not separated himself so much from society, things would have gone differently.
portalley's review against another edition
3.0
Hole in My Life is the memoir of Jack Gantos and the summer he smuggled drugs into the country and was arrested for it. While some people might think that giving a book like this to teens--give teenagers a book about breaking the law? About jail? Heavens, no--I think an older/mature teenager could handle the content in it. Some of the book is kind of rough--there are mentions of prison life and gang rape--but it's also honest. It shows the consequences Gantos faced for making a stupid mistake. I know some people felt that Gantos appears unthoughtful and unremoseful for his actions, but I didn't get that impression. If anything, this book felt a bit like a cautionary tale to think things through before you get involved in a get-rich-quick-scheme.
tattedlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
When I knew I needed to read a biography (not my normal choice for reading) book for my class, I turned to a friend/librarian for some suggestions. She had but one: Hole in My Life IS the book you WILL read for this. I did what anyone who knows Geri would have done, I shut up and checked out the book!
At first I wondered why she wanted me to read this odd yellow covered book written way back in 2002 about a man I have never heard of. Now I know. Hole in My life is compelling and interesting. I felt as though I was with Newberry Award Winner Jack Gantos on his search for self. I crewed the ship from Florida to NY with him, and ran from the law. I felt the emotions: happiness, pain, sorrow, fear and so many more as he felt them.
This boy who always wanted to be a writer but felt as though he had nothing to write about, this smart kid with no self-esteem, this boy seeking to be a man but not understanding how; all of these things, these feelings, I understood. Here was a kid trying to find his place in the world. He didn't know what to do with the jumble of feelings, so he sought respite in drugs and alcohol. I found myself screaming at the book “don’t you SEE what you are doing to yourself???”
I found the description of his time in prison (15 months in the federal pen for smuggling hash) fascinating. So many things conspired to keep him safe and out of relative harm during his stay. His sentence could have gone so much worse.
I have visited Jack Gantos’ website (http://www.jackgantos.com/) and read numerous articles about him. He speaks with amazing candor about his youth and the problems he created/encountered. One of my favorite things I read was an interview with him on NPR. I have included the link below because I think it gives a sense of Jack Gantos’ personality and humor.
http://www.npr.org/2012/01/28/145998769/newbery-medal-winner-jack-gantos-plays-not-my-job
At first I wondered why she wanted me to read this odd yellow covered book written way back in 2002 about a man I have never heard of. Now I know. Hole in My life is compelling and interesting. I felt as though I was with Newberry Award Winner Jack Gantos on his search for self. I crewed the ship from Florida to NY with him, and ran from the law. I felt the emotions: happiness, pain, sorrow, fear and so many more as he felt them.
This boy who always wanted to be a writer but felt as though he had nothing to write about, this smart kid with no self-esteem, this boy seeking to be a man but not understanding how; all of these things, these feelings, I understood. Here was a kid trying to find his place in the world. He didn't know what to do with the jumble of feelings, so he sought respite in drugs and alcohol. I found myself screaming at the book “don’t you SEE what you are doing to yourself???”
I found the description of his time in prison (15 months in the federal pen for smuggling hash) fascinating. So many things conspired to keep him safe and out of relative harm during his stay. His sentence could have gone so much worse.
I have visited Jack Gantos’ website (http://www.jackgantos.com/) and read numerous articles about him. He speaks with amazing candor about his youth and the problems he created/encountered. One of my favorite things I read was an interview with him on NPR. I have included the link below because I think it gives a sense of Jack Gantos’ personality and humor.
http://www.npr.org/2012/01/28/145998769/newbery-medal-winner-jack-gantos-plays-not-my-job