A review by stephen_coulon
Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos

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.