Holes (Holes, #1) in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Oct 06, 2012 Elizabeth rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: youngadult, newbery, more-than-32-pages

I didn't care for this book when I read it several years ago. However, it was chosen as this year's On the Same Page selection, and I loved the Wayside School books growing up. So, I wanted to re-read it.

I sort-of liked this better the second time I read it. How's that for enthusiasm? But I like the On the Same Page program, so I'll be suitably enthusiastic (or at least have a decent memory of it) in front of the children.

As for a star rating, I considered giving it three stars to show that I a I didn't care for this book when I read it several years ago. However, it was chosen as this year's On the Same Page selection, and I loved the Wayside School books growing up. So, I wanted to re-read it.

I sort-of liked this better the second time I read it. How's that for enthusiasm? But I like the On the Same Page program, so I'll be suitably enthusiastic (or at least have a decent memory of it) in front of the children.

As for a star rating, I considered giving it three stars to show that I appreciated it more, in the sense that I feel like I can understand why so many people like it and that I certainly see (and am excited) that it can and will foster good discussions. So many books are just blandly fine; we (any "we") might all agree that we liked something well enough, but no one has any particularly strong opinions or anything to really comment on. Vaguely inoffensive does not make for great book discussion among tweens.

Ultimately, I decided that this was my bookshelf and needed to reflect my actual feeling. Which, yes, is quite subjective. I've certainly rated embarrassingly vapid books highly because I was, for whatever reasons, thoroughly entertained. Some books get stellar ratings from me because they are great for toddler story time, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I think everyone I know absolutely needs to read them. I can think of several examples where I've probably under-scored great books simply because they didn't live up to earlier books in a series. When I do bother to assign stars, it's because I have an opinion. I like most of what I read (especially of the books I choose for myself), but I don't necessarily have anything to say about them. I feel like my ratings need to be for me. I use GoodReads for my job and for myself. Honestly, I don't remember a lot of what I read. I refer back to my ratings and notes to jog my memory of whether something is worth re-visiting. (I'm especially thinking of picture books here, because I can't always remember which similarly-titled book about the cow or the truck or the rain or whatever was "the good one.")

All this to say that, after much reflection, I ended up giving the same rating twice. Come to think of it, this was a question on the English AP exam a long-ish time ago regarding whether we had changed our opinion on a book. I wrote about how my opinion of "As I Lay Dying" had simply skyrocketed upon re-reading. I hope to be equally convincing this fall.

Now that I think about it, Holes has a lot in common there: a woman on a mission. Jumps in time and perspective. Lots of odd men with odd names in an odd place performing an odd task. Family and its peculiarities. Water. Mules. Hole digging. My mother is a fish fossil. ...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Jenny rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012, read-young-adult

Ah, the Newberry folks aren't usually wrong. I enjoyed this novel though other than knowing it was about digging holes, I really was totally off base about it. Stanley Yelnat is sent to a "camp" out in the middle of Texas because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Suffering from a case of bad luck that seems to plague his family, Stanley is hit on the head with a pair of tennis shoes, which he is then accused of stealing. This crime gets him sent to Camp Green Lake, which has neither g ...more

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Feb 28, 2013 LaRaie rated it it was amazing

One of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Simply beautiful!

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May 05, 2010 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-fiction, coming-of-age

I seriously had doubts about this book, mostly because everyone who saw me reading it said that it was one of their favorite books ever. And these people are librarians. What sort of book can live up to that hype? Well, Holes. I can't say that this is my favorite book every, but I highly enjoyed this book. Stanley and Zero are the perfect anti-heroes and I can imagine that this book would be very appealing to any younger teens (especially boys, especially slightly misfit-y boys). ...more

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