Holes
Written by Louis Sachar
Reviewed by Taylor CW. (age 13)
This book is about some boys who make mistakes and have to go to a camp were they have to dig holes 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide. Zigzag and Stanley make a deal that he has to dig some of Stanley's holes and Stanley will help him learn how to read. Zigzag's mom deserted him when he was a little boy and he started to do some stuff on his own and then he gets caught doing something and has to go to Camp Green Lake which is not a fun camp. The camp is like a prison. The councilors are so mean they just want you to dig holes and they give you minimal water. Zigzag leaves the camp and runs away. Stanley goes to find him. You might wonder what will happen to them in the hot desert where there are poisonous snakes and no water? Is the head warden looking for something? You might wonder why they have to dig holes? What is she looking for?
I think this was one of the best books I have ever read. It was a little slow at the start and confusing when it kept skipping from the present to the past. My favorite part is when Stanley and Zigzag escapes and climb up a giant mountain. They don't talk about the warden a lot. The warden is quiet and very mean. The councilors rely don't care about the kids they just want something that is hidden in the dirt. They just throw away Zigzags file when he runs away. As I read this book, it made me think how hard it could really be for some of those kids. This would be a great book for all ages. My dad even liked the book. The book is boring at the start but it gets better. Holes has lots of exciting parts. The characters are even interesting. The book is not like any book I have ever read. The characters are all original. The book goes back in time a lot and gets confusing but it all makes sense at the end. They don't tell a lot about the warden in the book in till the end.