John Gantos - Hole In My Life

Upon further consideration of John Gantos' Hole In My Life, I believe I can assume its best interest for young adults. It is dark at times and for a mature audience (not that I think the YA crowd cannot handle such themes) but I do in fact think it has great benefit to the world of adolescents and even college-aged readers. This is because it speaks to the nature of occupational vocation. Within a readership which constantly asks "What do I want to be when I grow up?" and "Where is my life going and what difference can I make?", Gantos tells his story of becoming a writer and struggling to have his voice heard. And the whole time he starts this from a prison cell, an environment surely worse than any condition of the YA reader. It is a sort of you-can-be-whatever-you-want-to-be message. If an aspiring writer were to read the novel, of course he or she would be inspired to work towards their goal but I also think that anybody struggling to find their spot in the world would be drawn towards this novel. In fact, as a college senior who has been removed from the YA novel sphere for awhile, I was motivated by the story to continue to seek out my own personal occupational goal and achievement.