Holes

Before I started reading the book, I thought it was just going to be another tedious story about a boy’s tough adolescent. But later, I found it was a big mistake.

That is how I feel after reading Holes—amazed, touched, and gratified.

Holes, written by Louis Sachar, an award-winning novel, led me to an impressive journey when I read through the whole book. It’s a tale about a boy named Stanley Yelnats, who is under a curse. The curse began with his great-great-grandfather, and was passed down the generations of the Yelnats. The curse definitely brought bad luck to Stanley. He was unjustly sent to a boy’s detention center, Camp Green Lake, where boys built character by spending all day, every day, digging holes. Stanley soon found out the “digging holes” thing was much more than character building. Underneath the barren desert was buried some unknown and mysterious treasure, which was thought to be owned by one of his ancestors. Digging holes is more like a journey to finding the roots of Yelnats’ family.

However, the adventure of the journey could not be accomplished without the help from Stanley’s good friend, Zero. Zero fled from Camp Green Lake because he could not stand all the bullies, injustices, and the despairing life there. Stanley then bravely came to Zero’s rescue because he knew there was no way he could survive without food and water in the desert. During their harsh adventure struggling to survive, Stanley discovered the long buried fortune of his family and turned his life all around. At the end of the story, Stanley lifted his curse and became rich.

What makes this book amazing is its exciting and fascinating story. Courage, friendship, and willpower together constitute an important value of this remarkable tale. The entanglement from the ancient history of Yelnats’ family and the strong linkage between its ancestors and offspring make this book even more interesting. The words seem to pull me into the adventure of the vivid characters. Following Stanley’s footsteps, I traveled through Camp Green Lake and all the rigors of the harsh life. When other boys picked on Stanley, I had an impulse to beat the bullies in the face; when Zero almost died in the desert, I felt my life so fragile and myself so helpless; when Stanley felt so perplexed at his life, I would like to encourage him to face and fight the difficulties. Every page is a fantastic journey. Every word is an intense experience. Through the paragraphs, I climbed in and out of the holes and dug out the joy of reading.

I learned about being in control of our own destiny from this book. If we think ourselves destined for a miserable fate and surrender ourselves to it, we will not have a chance to turn it around. It is important to keep optimistic and bold when we face all the obstacles in our lives, like Stanley did. Though he knew he was under a curse and always had bad luck, he did not give up. Stanley is always hopeful and believes that he will succeed someday. From Stanley, I learned that fate is something we hold in our hands; moreover, our lives depend on ourselves. Holes also opens my mind toward an inspired life. I know when hardships knock on me, I will go ahead to fight them.

I enjoyed reading Holes very much, particularly the sincere friendship between Stanley and Zero that punches my heart most. After being sent to the Camp and going through all the challenges, Stanley dug out the treasure of friendship from his heart. Stanley and Zero risked their lives in supporting each other during the ups and downs. A friend is someone who knows when we are lost and scared, someone to count on and someone who cares about us. A friend in need is a friend indeed. It is harder to walk on our own, and a true friend will always be there for us. After reading this book, I finally realized how powerful friendship can be. As seasons come and go, the treasure of friendship will never lose its glow.