Hole in My Life Paperback – April 24, 2012

During the summer after his senior year of high school, Jack Gantos was desperate to chase his dreams of becoming an author. Though his aspirations were limitless, he felt as there was a road block keeping him from meeting them. When a mysterious man offers him ten thousand dollars to help sail a boat loaded with drugs. Jack Gantos was on the brink of adulthood when his parents handed him the freedom of moving out and starting life on his own. When he was just a junior in high school, his parents decided to move from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Moving to Puerto Rico looked like a free pass to a party and though Jack enjoyed his time being an electrician there, school was still on the back of his mind. This eventually led him back to Florida to make more mistakes that a free, young, teenage boy would make. After getting kicked out of his host home for trashing their house every chance he got, he realized he hit rock bottom when he was living in a motel called King’s Court. During his time there, he was saving up for an adventure back to his parents in Puerto Rico. He believed that every good writer had a story and he was set on discovering an adventure of his own. Through betrayal and failure, Jack ends up back to where it all started with his parents. He was out of money and working for his father to pay for room and board, when he met Rick and Hamilton. Jack didn’t even hesitate before he accepted their offer for ten thousand dollars to sail a ship full of hash to New York City. Little did he know that this would be the greatest mistake of his life. Through hardships on the sail, to getting caught and fleeing from the FBI to eventually being behind bars in a federal prison, Jack’s vulnerability is intoxicating. The heart of this story portrays that even the worst mistakes can bring the best things to your life. This book is appropriate for anyone over the age of eighteen only due to the profanity and drug use throughout Jack Gantos’ memoir. If you want to read a story of redemption and lessons learned the hard way, then this book is highly recommend. The way Jack tells his story is so personal and raw which is very rare to find in memoirs these days. This is the kind of memoir that leaves the reader laughing out loud, wondering how this story could be true by the unbelievable things that would occur to him in such a small amount of time. The theme of this book is simply: short cuts to success will never give you the outcome you truly desire. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down while I was reading. Any person who is slightly interested in adventure and hilarious memoirs needs to go purchase Hole In My Life by Jack Gantos, sit down with a cup of tea, and indulge on his incredibly hilarious adventure to becoming the award winning author he is today.

luckily, Jack Gantos reveals in his memoir, Hole in My Life, his life was changed for the better. After finishing the novel in one sitting, Gantos deserves five stars for giving his readers a relatable and believable story, in which he perceived his own life experiences. Jack Gantos was a troubled teenager who could not set his priorities straight. Granted too much freedom by his own parents, Jack went down the wrong path as a young man. A top priority for Jack was going to college, but to get there he made a decision that forever affected his life. Jack lands himself in prison when he decided making money for to attend college was worth breaking the law. Although he had reached the lowest moment in his life, he opened his eyes to all of his life-worthy moments before he was sent to prison. Seeking redemption developed into one of the novel’s major themes. Jack eventually learns to forgive himself for the mistakes he made and becomes determined to accomplish his life desire of becoming a writer. Determination is a major theme because even though Jack faced multiple struggles during his time spent in prison, he ultimately became what he desired to be. The audience for the novel is directed towards young adults, which makes Jack Gantos and his story relatable for readers. Gantos was faced with an obstacle, but he acknowledged that the mistakes he made were wrong so he could overcome them, move on, and achieve what he wanted in life. Jack Gantos successfully delivered his message to readers that even in the darkest moments of someone’s life, they are worthy of a second chance. Not only does Gantos send positive messages to young adults, but for children as well. Gantos is popular for his series of Joey Pigza books which sheds light on the realities of a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The series sends multiple messages to both adults and children to help them get a better understanding of the syndrome. Although I have no hesitation when it comes to recommending Hole in My Life for young adults, Gantos does draw attention on the day-to-day horrors that occurred while he was in prison, which may cause some readers to feel uncomfortable. Readers should be aware that this novel includes sensitive topics such as guns, rape, and injuries that require medical attention. However, there are three important reasons why I recommend Hole in My Life. The novel shows one poor decision can ruin the rest of someone’s life, it is possible to forgive yourself from your mistakes, and it takes hard work and dedication to achieve what you want most in life.