The life shared in this book is compelling, entertaining, and inspirational. Jack Gantos tells of the unpredictable twists and turns of his life through his memoir Hole in My Life. His great details and honest thoughts bring the story to life and allow the reader to not only put on his shoes but run in them too.His blunt sense of humor and vivid details make his stories entertaining and fun to read. He brings moments to life through his true stories and through the characters he has created.In his memoir, Gantos shares a challenging part of his life that led him to actively pursue his writing passion. Jack Gantos introduces you to the people he encountered, the quests he went on, and the challenges he faced at the age of 20. He explains how he continuously searched for what he wanted throughout the years, how he got into trouble, and how the hole in his life ultimately changed is path. His story is open and honest, and it is fascinating to read about the crazy life he lived.He finds himself filling many different roles: a junior attending school in Florida, a construction worker in Puerto Rico, a high school senior living in a motel, a boy involved in questionable activities, a sailor travelling to New York, a prisoner, and a writer. These different roles are a result of different major decisions he made, and these decisions helped lead an interesting and thrilling life. Gantos shows how each moment brought him exciting ideas and aided him in his passion. He shows that every moment truly counts, and that you should never give up on what you want to pursue.The characters he introduces are well developed and authentic. Their voices and personalities can be heard and seen through the pages, and the interactions are vivid and real. From the major people in his life to people whose interactions were brief, each interaction played a vital part in his life, and Gantos’s storytelling makes it easy to imagine the friends and peers. The plot is interesting and easy to follow. His transitions between different thoughts and periods of time are seamless and enjoyable. At times it seemed as if the stories he was sharing were irrelevant, but each story created a better picture of who he is and what he was thinking while he was finding himself through all the chaos. The overall message of the story is relatable and inspiring. The story is captivating – it was hard to put the book down.It is easy identify the books Gantos has written as his due to his distinct style, but his memoir is not like his children’s books. You can hear him speak through the pages and he has no filter while sharing the stories of his life. It is an easy read, but the contents of the book are heavy and mature. I would not recommend this book for children or young teens, because of the drugs and profanity within the story. I enjoyed the book and would eagerly read Gantos’ life story again.