Holes
Louis Sachar, 1998
★ 4.02 from 1.4m ratings on Goodreads
A boy sent to a desert camp for delinquent boys digs holes all day and slowly uncovers a family curse, a buried outlaw, and a history that won't stay buried. Plain, witty storytelling moves quickly through digging days and old family history, with hope and a sense of time pressing down.
Feels like hope, unease and joy. About time, freedom and family.
Who it’s for
You may like it if you enjoy clever connections between past and present and a dry, friendly voice. Some readers found the repeated digging and the ending disappointing, so the middle may feel slower if you want constant change.
Why read it
It ties a boy's present-day punishment to a buried family story, giving you a quick, satisfying puzzle about fairness and belonging.
A page from the book
A game of pretend that has outlived the age that invented it.
Stanley and his parents had tried to pretend that he was just going away to camp for a while, just like rich kids do. When Stanley was younger he used to play with stuffed animals, and pretend the animals were at camp. Camp Fun and Games he called it. Sometimes he’d have them play soccer with a marble. Other times they’d run an obstacle course, or go bungee jumping off a table, tied to broken rubber bands. Now Stanley tried to pretend he was going to Camp Fun and Games. Maybe he’ d make some friends, he thought. At least he’d get to swim in the lake. What readers say
Readers generally found the story highly entertaining, praising its clever plot and engaging characters. While many enjoyed the themes of friendship and hope, some found the repetition or ending disappointing.
Louis Sachar.Louis Sachar trained as a lawyer and practiced part-time while writing; Holes won the 1999 Newbery Medal.
Books that feel like this
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J. K. Rowling, 1997
A boy who has never been loved learns he is a wizard, enters a castle school of moving staircases, and finds the first friends who choose him.
Charlotte's Web
E. B. White, 1952
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Where to get it
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Questions readers ask
- Is Holes for me?
- You may like it if you enjoy clever connections between past and present and a dry, friendly voice. Some readers found the repeated digging and the ending disappointing, so the middle may feel slower if you want constant change.
- What is Holes like?
- Plain, witty storytelling moves quickly through digging days and old family history, with hope and a sense of time pressing down. Feels like hope, unease and joy. About time, freedom and family.
- What should I read after Holes?
- If you liked Holes, try The Giver (Lois Lowry), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (J. K. Rowling) and The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton).
A taste of the feed
A word that sounds like mercy is used for the worst punishment.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE WILL BE RELEASED, the voice had said, followed by silence. There was an ironic tone to that finally message, as if the Speaker found it amusing; and Jonas had smiled a little, though he knew what a grim statement it had been. For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure.
The Giver · Lois Lowry
The moment a magic lesson becomes a contest of who says it right.
‘And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?’ ‘Throw it away and punch him on the nose,’ Ron suggested. Wingardium Leviosa!’ he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill. ‘You’re saying it wrong,’ Harry heard Hermione snap. ‘It’s Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the “gar” nice and long.’ ‘You do it, then, if you’re so clever’ Ron snarled. Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand and said, Wingardium Leviosa!’ Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone · J. K. Rowling
What contentment looks like when it includes the rats and the manure.
It was the best place to be, thought Wilbur, this warm delicious cellar, with the garrulous geese, the changing seasons, the heat of the sun, the passage of swallows, the nearness of rats, the sameness of sheep, the love of spiders, the smell of manure, and the glory of everything.
Charlotte's Web · E. B. White
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