Holes, by Louis Sachar
Another children's book that all adults should read; complex and tragic and happy
(Review posted 20 Aug 2004 03:23:40)

This is another of those children's (or Young Adult or something; I dunno) books that I very much enjoy reading as an adult. And this one isn't just passing fun, it's substantive and rich (I know you know that, they made a movie out of it and everything, but I like to talk).

So somewhere between The Angel Factory and His Dark Materials, say, with some Daniel Pinkwater thrown in for good measure. Whimsical but sad, funny but tragic, full of time and symbols and destiny without being at all heavy, and of odd characters and strange names without being silly. And in the end offering a good measure of redemption, but without promising that everything will be fixed.

Read this even if you're all grown up.