Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Rating Explanation

Language: profanity and swearing, derogatory terms (spaz, retard), someone “flips off” one of the characters

Violence: Main character hit with a billy club during arrest. The step-father of a character plots and tries to carry out her murder. Step-father attacks 3 people with a baseball bat.

Sexual Content: Some suggestive song lyrics. “So many of these songs seem to be about sex! You’d never guess I’m a virgin” (page 119).

Adult Themes: Mention of marijuana and getting stoned. Minor given a beer. Conjecture about an affair between character’s step-father and another woman. Urine sample for drug test. 2 characters are illegally scalping concert tickets. Character lies to police to cover for a friend.

Synopsis

Armpit is back after his Holes debut and is trying to stay out of trouble and lose his bad rap. He’s doing pretty well until his friend X-Ray comes up with a plan to scalp tickets for an upcoming concert. Things get a little out of control for awhile, but Armpit pulls it all back together in the end.

I liked this book, but not as well as Holes. I think Armpit is a sympathetic character for most kids who are trying to do what they know they should, but whose parents expect the worst of them. Some issues to discuss from the book include race, physical disabilities and a teenager dealing with fame.

©2009 The Literate Mother