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A review by amazing_emily_anderson
Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos
4.0
REQUIRED TEXT
Jack Gantos wasn't always a straight-laced children's book author, and his personal memoir proves it. Always looking for the next adventure, Gantos writes about how he was reeled into a drug smuggling operation where he sailed on a yacht (complete with a salty captain) and smuggled drugs into New York in exchange for ten thousand dollars, which he hoped would help fund a college education. However, after being caught and arrested, and serving time in prison, Gantos realizes that perhaps his future career as a writer need not rely on recklessness and so-called adventure.
I really liked the honest approach that Gantos takes with this book. Rather than a "scared straight" message, Gantos tells his honest side of the story, how he dabbled with drugs, how he was young and thought he was invincible, and how he made bad decisions because he thought those things would make him a better writer. I think that his dream and career as a writer is the main focus here, and not so much that he went to prison, which I think is an interesting approach. I wonder how effective this book is in the hands of teens and young adults, but regardless, I was very intrigued by Gantos' story and I really enjoyed his writing style.
Jack Gantos wasn't always a straight-laced children's book author, and his personal memoir proves it. Always looking for the next adventure, Gantos writes about how he was reeled into a drug smuggling operation where he sailed on a yacht (complete with a salty captain) and smuggled drugs into New York in exchange for ten thousand dollars, which he hoped would help fund a college education. However, after being caught and arrested, and serving time in prison, Gantos realizes that perhaps his future career as a writer need not rely on recklessness and so-called adventure.
I really liked the honest approach that Gantos takes with this book. Rather than a "scared straight" message, Gantos tells his honest side of the story, how he dabbled with drugs, how he was young and thought he was invincible, and how he made bad decisions because he thought those things would make him a better writer. I think that his dream and career as a writer is the main focus here, and not so much that he went to prison, which I think is an interesting approach. I wonder how effective this book is in the hands of teens and young adults, but regardless, I was very intrigued by Gantos' story and I really enjoyed his writing style.