Book Review - Small Steps

Author: Louis Sachar

From the author of the best-selling novel Holes comes a book that focuses on a former Camp Green Lake detainee. Small Steps fast forwards two years after Holes left off and follows Armpit as he re-adjusts to life on the outside. Read on to find out if this follow-up is as captivating as the original.

Small Steps - The Key to Success

After spending a few years at Camp Green Lake, digging holes in the middle of the desert with the likes of Stanley Yelnats, X-Ray and Zero, Armpit has been released back into the custody of his parents in Austin, Texas. Armpit knows that if he wants to avoid a life in jail, he's going to have to buckle down and finish high school and stay away from trouble! Things are going well for Armpit and he feels like he's finally getting back on the right track - until his old pal X-Ray shows up with a get-rich-quick scheme that can't go wrong.

Small Steps - Too Good to Be True

X-Ray's brilliant plan involves Armpit fronting the money to buy tickets for a Kaira DeLeon (the hottest new pop singer) concert and then re-selling them for more than double the price. Since tickets to Kaira's concert re-sold for more than $700 in other cities, X-Ray is convinced it's a fool-proof plan that will help them rake in some serious coin. Armpit goes along with the plan, but this hassle-free scheme turns out to be a big pain in the butt. Eventually the majority of the tickets are sold and Armpit finds himself using the last pair to go to the show himself - accompanied by his ten year-old neighbor who has cerebral palsy.

Small Steps - Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Armpit and X-Ray's ticket scalping venture takes some interesting turns when X-Ray decides to sell the last remaining tickets and replace them with counterfeit ones without telling his partner. So, Armpit ends up in a big scuffle with security when the real ticket holders arrive. Somehow, however, this mishap gets the attention of Kaira herself who feels bad about how Armpit and Ginny have been treated by security and invite them backstage. This twist of fate leads Armpit on a journey of love, deceit and a whole lot of adventure!

Small Steps - Bottom Line

Despite following a former Holes character, Small Steps takes on a much different tone than that book. It's a lot less quirky and a bit more serious, but has its own charm. Like most of Louis Sachar's books, Small Steps is certainly a page-turner. It deals with a lot of important issues as well, including racism, childhood disease and breaking the law. If you're looking for a good summer read, Small Steps is a great choice!

Small Steps Rating:

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