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averyirelyn's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
rubbertree14's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Great book for introducing hard, complicated topics like race to both young and veteran readers alike.
3cece6's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
linnsku's review against another edition
4.5
Tykkäsin tästä kirjasta sillon tosi paljon! En ehkä hulluna fanittanu mut oli tosi hyvä lukukokemus!
briefcasey's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
tbd24's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
leon_irie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Some great cliffhangers.
dullshimmer's review against another edition
4.0
Holes is like an onion, which means its also like an ogre I guess. Holes also has quite a few onions in it before the end of the tale, but I'm digressing. Holes is an interesting book, because while it seems like a pretty straightforward tale of a boy with exceptionally bad luck, it winds up being a story of how three stories all connect at one time and make for an enjoyable, but maybe all a bit too coincidental, story.
The story you start following is one of Stanley Yelnats, actually Stanley Yelnats IV, but that doesn't really come up all that much. Anyhow, Stanley, due to his exceptional bad luck, is in the wrong place at the wrong time and is accused of stealing a pair of sneakers. Due to this he is sent off to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile correction facility that is pretty much the opposite of how its name would suggest. Every day the boys there are required to dig a hole five feet deep and five feet wide, to build character of course.
As you progress in this story, you are also given snippets into two other stories. The first of these stories is the story of Stanley's great, great, great (okay I can't remember exactly how many greats), Grandfather. This story presents the reason for Stanley and his whole family's tendency to be extremely unlucky in life.
The other story is one looking at the history of Camp Green Lake. This follows a schoolteacher Katherine Barlow and a local Onion seller named Sam. This explains why Green Lake is no longer green and the real reason why the boys are supposed to be digging holes.
These three stories all collide as Stanley does his time at Camp Green Lake. It's satisfying the way all of these stories merge into one, but at the same time all the coincidences that have to take place all in one span of time is a bit much. Also the story of Green Lake's past is just kind of tossed in, it isn't told by another character you're just presented it interspersed within Stanley's story. While it is interesting and more than a bit infuriating, it just kind of feels odd to go into that story with little warning.
So overall, it's a fun story, but it at the same time all the stories coming together does feel a bit too convenient and there really shouldn't be a way for you to know about the history of Green Lake. As I said it's still a good story and I enjoyed reading it, but I would also say it has some things that hold it back as well.
The story you start following is one of Stanley Yelnats, actually Stanley Yelnats IV, but that doesn't really come up all that much. Anyhow, Stanley, due to his exceptional bad luck, is in the wrong place at the wrong time and is accused of stealing a pair of sneakers. Due to this he is sent off to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile correction facility that is pretty much the opposite of how its name would suggest. Every day the boys there are required to dig a hole five feet deep and five feet wide, to build character of course.
As you progress in this story, you are also given snippets into two other stories. The first of these stories is the story of Stanley's great, great, great (okay I can't remember exactly how many greats), Grandfather. This story presents the reason for Stanley and his whole family's tendency to be extremely unlucky in life.
The other story is one looking at the history of Camp Green Lake. This follows a schoolteacher Katherine Barlow and a local Onion seller named Sam. This explains why Green Lake is no longer green and the real reason why the boys are supposed to be digging holes.
These three stories all collide as Stanley does his time at Camp Green Lake. It's satisfying the way all of these stories merge into one, but at the same time all the coincidences that have to take place all in one span of time is a bit much. Also the story of Green Lake's past is just kind of tossed in, it isn't told by another character you're just presented it interspersed within Stanley's story. While it is interesting and more than a bit infuriating, it just kind of feels odd to go into that story with little warning.
So overall, it's a fun story, but it at the same time all the stories coming together does feel a bit too convenient and there really shouldn't be a way for you to know about the history of Green Lake. As I said it's still a good story and I enjoyed reading it, but I would also say it has some things that hold it back as well.