lynxpardinus's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Hate crime, Bullying, Gun violence, Confinement, Murder, and Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Medical content, Physical abuse, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Animal death, and Grief
Minor: Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, and Gaslighting
bookedfortheweekend25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder and Racism
sweetchocolatez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Fatphobia, Abandonment, and Grief
Minor: Death and Vomit
pietwombly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Murder, Sexual harassment, and Hate crime
nota_candycaine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Violence, Death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racism, Confinement, Hate crime, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
betsysbooksandbits's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Child abuse and Racism
Minor: Murder
morganperks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Fatphobia, Death, and Blood
lily_k8y's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Confinement
Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Racism, Murder, Death, Child abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Bullying
Minor: Animal death
wolfiegrrrl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Through the story, the author has a lot to say about racism, classism, the prison pipeline, and the exploitative nature of detainment centers. There is also an impressive smattering of commentary about the things adults do and say that (either intentionally or unintentionally) leave a lasting negative impression on how children view themselves. As an adult with a more informed perspective on these topics, I now understand how a story set in Texas turned out to have all of these elements, so I found myself stopping to let certain details sink in that I know I missed as a kid. I think the fact that it isn't preachy, instead painting a straightforward picture for the readers and saying "you decide if this is right or wrong," is what imprinted this story on my heart.
I only recently learned that there is a sequel and I am looking forward to seeing what happened to the other boys from Camp Green Lake!
Graphic: Bullying, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Confinement
Minor: Vomit, Death, Animal death, Fatphobia, Blood, and Murder
sweekune's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fun and thoughtful book. Though clearly a children's book, at no point did I feel it was patronising or childish. The narrator did an amazing job and added to the experience.
The good:
- An interesting and enjoyable story that was encapsulated well.
- There was good character development and growth.
- The switches back to the past were well done and I enjoyed learning the tidbits that then later tied into the story.
- The narrative did an amazing job. I especially enjoyed the way they gave each character their own tone of voice so you knew who was speaking even without being told.
What could have been better:
- Some of the characters lacked depth beyond their immediate purpose to the story. The antagonists were only really that, not people with thought and backgrounds of their own.
Overall I had a really fun time listening to Holes and it was a nice palate cleanser after some heavier books.
Moderate: Racism, Murder, and Child abuse
Minor: Fatphobia