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19th out of 53 books
—
16 voters
The Hole in the Wall
Eleven-year-old Sebby has found the perfect escape from his crummy house and bickering family: The Hole in the Wall. It’s a pristine, beautiful glen in the midst of a devastated mining area behind Sebby’s home. But not long after he finds it his world starts falling apart: his family’s chickens disappear, colors start jumping off the wall and coming to life, and after snea...more
Hardcover, 280 pages
Published
November 1st 2010
by Milkweed Editions
(first published July 1st 2010)
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Eleven-year-old Sebby lives in a dilapidated house in a devastated town. A company owned by his father’s old high school chum, is strip-mining nearly the entire town, buying people’s homes that get in the way. Nearly everyone has left including Sebby’s older brother Jed who took off one day without saying where he was going. Even when Jed phones, he refuses to say where he has gone or what he is doing. Then Sebby’s father disappears after a night of heavy drinking. In addition, his mother’s chic...more
Sebby's living a difficult life. His brother has run away. His once nice father has turned into a unemployed, angry man who prefers to spend his time at the Dew Drop Inn. His mom tries to be peacemaker in the house. His grandmother has moved into his room and now he has to share the upstairs foyer with his twin sister. But worst of all, the beautiful land that used to surround his house has been strip mined by a mining company so that there's little to see that isn't ugly; and all the land the c...more
Sebby and his twin sister, Barbie, live with their parents on one of the few remaining properties that have not been claimed by Mr. Odum's mining company. Sebby's father grew up with Mr. Odum and thinks well of him. Sebby is not so sure. When strange things start happening involving disappearing chickens, flashing colors, mysterious caves, and strange phone calls from his runaway brother, Jed, Sebby is sure that Mr. Odum is involved and it all seems to revolve around Sebby's secret place known o...more
It took me awhile to get into this book. There's not a lot of action right from the start and it took me a bit to get used to the author's storytelling style.
Seb is an interesting character and he takes a bit to get used to. He has quite an imagination, so his mind wanders and he imagines new situations and he takes the reader there with him. Because of this, his narration takes a bit to get adjusted to.
A lot happens in the story and there's a big mystery the twins have set out to solve, but I...more
Seb is an interesting character and he takes a bit to get used to. He has quite an imagination, so his mind wanders and he imagines new situations and he takes the reader there with him. Because of this, his narration takes a bit to get adjusted to.
A lot happens in the story and there's a big mystery the twins have set out to solve, but I...more
Oct 27, 2010
The Sunday Book Review
added it
I must start by stating this is not a book I would normally pick up. YA isn’t my first choice.
The beginning intrigued me. Poor family just trying to make it day by day by selling eggs and anything else they grow on their property. All is going relatively well, until Seb finds an abnormally heavy egg in the coop. After this discovery, everything in Seb’s life gets turned upside down. Who is the good/bad guy? Which one of them is telling the truth? How is going to get this chicken detached from hi...more
The beginning intrigued me. Poor family just trying to make it day by day by selling eggs and anything else they grow on their property. All is going relatively well, until Seb finds an abnormally heavy egg in the coop. After this discovery, everything in Seb’s life gets turned upside down. Who is the good/bad guy? Which one of them is telling the truth? How is going to get this chicken detached from hi...more
Received as an e-galley from NetGalley
This book kept me wanting to read more. I was sad that it ended. I couldn't guess what was going on. You get a general idea of what's going to happen and you know instantly who the bad guy is. The question is why? What is he up to?
Seb was just adorable. He had such a vivid imagination. It had me actually believing so many weird things. He was such a delight! I couldn't believe some of the things his mind came up with. Barb was a good sister. It was nice to...more
This book kept me wanting to read more. I was sad that it ended. I couldn't guess what was going on. You get a general idea of what's going to happen and you know instantly who the bad guy is. The question is why? What is he up to?
Seb was just adorable. He had such a vivid imagination. It had me actually believing so many weird things. He was such a delight! I couldn't believe some of the things his mind came up with. Barb was a good sister. It was nice to...more
I'd give this book honors for its quirkiness; for most of the story I wondered what was going on. Seb and his family used to live surrounded by beauty; now a mining company has ruined the town and the land around it. Their family feels ruined too, since big brother Jed had a fight with their dad and has disappeared; their dad is an abusive alcoholic, and their family has very little money. What is the peculiar chemical that petrifies the chickens one day? Why does Seb's stomach hurt so much afte...more
Sebby's retreat to his secret place seems to bring him some solace from the difficulties of missing his older, runaway brother, his abusive father, the businessman who is ruining the landscape of Kokadjo Gore and his critical twin sister. Anyone would want to get away from all that. But the Hole in the Wall, the small cave only Sebby knows about, has other properties. What makes the rainbow patterns appear, and then dance? Does it have anything to do with finding all his mother's chickens turned...more
A beautiful countryside has been spoiled due to mining. Sebby, an 11year old boy, has discovered a hidden cave in the midst of the destruction around it. The cave is his refuge from his dysfunctional family. His father is an emotionally and verbally abusive drunk, his older brother is a runaway, and his mother works long hours to earn a meager income.
Strange things begin to happen. The first indication is the chickens. The begin to act strangely and lay petrified eggs.
Something rotten is afoot a...more
Strange things begin to happen. The first indication is the chickens. The begin to act strangely and lay petrified eggs.
Something rotten is afoot a...more
This was a fun read. It took me back to when I was little and had a vivid imagination that was constantly creating new worlds, people, and events. Sebby just happens to be hiding in his secret cave when out of the corner of his eye he notices brilliant colors flickering in the cave walls. Isn't this a discovery any eleven year old would love to find?
Sebby's family is a tad bit dysfunctional--his mom is constantly trying to make ends meet in any way possible, his grandma is nagging constantly, hi...more
Sebby's family is a tad bit dysfunctional--his mom is constantly trying to make ends meet in any way possible, his grandma is nagging constantly, hi...more
Sebby Daniels has a twin sister named Barbie. Their older brother Jed ran away 6 months ago, and life hasn't been the same since. One morning, Sebby goes to the henhouse to collect the eggs and finds a petrified egg. Sebby and Barbie discover that strange things are happening around their home in Kakadjo Gore, and the petrified egg is just the beginning. Fraustino tells a story about a family that's been through some rough times and how they come together to solve a mysterious problem that you h...more
FIRST SENTENCE: When he got the idea that would change his life, he was lying on his back in the cave near his home.
Eleven-year-old Sebby (Sebastian) has a fertile imagination and a lot of problems. His older brother Jeb ran away after an argument with his Pa about the damage his childhood friend Stan Odum's company has done to their community with his strip-mining; his Pa, who used to be nice, is now jobless and drinks; his teacher, Ms. Byron, is on his case about getting his homework completed...more
Eleven-year-old Sebby (Sebastian) has a fertile imagination and a lot of problems. His older brother Jeb ran away after an argument with his Pa about the damage his childhood friend Stan Odum's company has done to their community with his strip-mining; his Pa, who used to be nice, is now jobless and drinks; his teacher, Ms. Byron, is on his case about getting his homework completed...more
Imagine being an eleven year old boy and the world around you has slowly changed for the worse in the last few years. He can remember when times were better, but that was before the strip miners started taking away all the land around them. Not only that, but weird things were starting to happen to him that was more than just growing pains. A secret facility, a lost brother and parents that need parenting classes....what more could an eleven year old brother ask for but to start his own investig...more
I have a strong affection for this book; I felt content following the protagonist about, entering the family home, and the strangeness in the town felt like an episode of the SyFy show Eureka. I'm not sure I was on board with some of the incidents (the 'magnetic' chick attached to his stomach), however.
I hated the first chapter, and almost stopped reading. But I kept going and liked the book. Important fact: the narrator is an 11-year-old boy. If I had known that, I probably would have liked the first chapter. It certainly felt like an 11-year-old was talking.
Very different. Sebby has an amazing hideout. The rocks actually change colors. But when the mining done by their house starts affecting their chickens, the eggs and then themselves, they find out the rocks aren't so wonderful.
Interesting read, to some extent. But trying to do too much in 200 pages. Reminded me of a story a kid would have come up with while playing ("how about ... And let's pretend ...), which is kind of cool, but it didn't seem to serve a purpose. Interesting environmental commentary but not sure if kids would pick up on that (YA book).
This was a really cute book. I loved stumbling my way through this world with Seb, finding out what was really going on, and learning the truth about what our villain was up to.
Sebby and his twin sister Barbie get caught up in strange happenings in the area around their house. Why do the rocks in a local cave glow? What is causing the chickens to lay hard eggs? Their brother, Jed ran away from home and only calls once in a while to let them know he's still alive, will he ever come home? Will the mining run-off ruin their home just like it ruined everyone else's in the area? These are only the beginning of the adventure that awaits the two siblings. Great for kids 10+
Two stars for unique plot. Really wanted to like it. However, found the story to be pretty cluttered with the writing. The author's voice made me surface and come out of the story too many times for my liking. I felt she was trying to convince me the whole time who Seb was vs. Seb authentically acting throughout. Secondly, there was a lot wordy writing. For instance, "If you knew where to look, you could make out a camouflaged bump in the middle of the triangle. That was the ORC compound." Why n...more
May 29, 2010
Lori
marked it as to-read
signed galley from BEA
Weird. Quite weird.
Ok, seriously don't know what's going on with this book. It's so disjointed and the narrator is so... I don't even know what the word is, incoherent maybe? I picked this book up no less than 4 times thinking I have to give it another shot, but that's it. I'm done with this thing. There are too many other books to read. Clearly I'm not the target audience for this one.
Jul 23, 2012
Mason Carter
added it
this was not a good book to many things happening at once
Interesting set up but the plot never really gets going. The characters are wooden, especially the villain.
It's mostly an environmental piece but it should have been better.
It's mostly an environmental piece but it should have been better.
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May 17, 2013
Terri
is currently reading it
Jan 24, 2013
Sherrie
marked it as to-read
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