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Book Summary

Reviewed by Matt Berman

At the end of Holes, Camp Green Lake had been shut down and the boys released. After spending time in a halfway house, Theodore (nicknamed Armpit) is working hard to get his life back on track. He has a job, is taking extra classes to graduate from high school, and is saving his money while trying to stay out of trouble. He has even befriended the young girl next door who has cerebral palsy. But then X-Ray shows up with a get-rich-quick scheme that involves scalping tickets to a concert by Kaira DeLeon, the latest teen pop sensation.

From there the story gets complicated. Armpit meets Kaira and they strike up a tentative romance. X-Ray goes beyond scalping to counterfeiting, and both the police and rival scalpers come after both of them. And Kaira's manager/stepfather plans to murder her and pin it on Armpit.

Is It Any Good?

3

Holes was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, a complex symphony of disparate thematic elements and vibrant characters woven together in intricate pattern that resolved perfectly. It's hard to believe that SMALL STEPS was written by the same author: This is more of a tangle of elements that resolves into an ill-fitting mess.

Louis Sachar doesn't seem to know how to write a book that isn't fun and enjoyable. But Holes set the bar a lot higher, and for the sequel to that Newbery Medalist and National Book Award winner something more is expected -- a higher degree of craftsmanship, depth, sophistication, and emotional power, all of which are missing here. Fans of the first book will no doubt want to read it and may even enjoy it (though the romance section of the book appeals to an entirely different audience), but they won't find it as memorable or as powerful.

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