The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

This book has been on my reading list for a long time; actually, this book was the topic of discussion in my young adult literature class during college, but I never got around to reading it (despite the rave reviews by some of my classmates and my professor). As I was looking at the book list for my graduate course starting in a few weeks, this title appeared again, and I realized that it was finally time to sit down and read this book.

In “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie, readers follow Arnold “Junior” Spirit, an adolescent growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, as he makes his way through the trials and tribulations of being a teenager. As Junior realizes that his life isn't all that he has dreamed of, he makes the hard decision to attend school off the reservation--knowing that he will be leaving behind his family and his best friend, Rowdy (the only person who has ever had his back). With Junior now attending school elsewhere, he is faced with straddling two different communities, each one thinking that he is an outsider; on the reservation, his native community sees him as a traitor, yet he will never be fully accepted as the only native boy at his white school.

Despite the bullying, teasing, and torment that Junior faces, he manages to remain determined and stick with attending his new school (even though it is over twenty miles away and getting to and from school isn’t always guaranteed). As time goes on, Junior finds his place and begins to accept the fact that he is an outsider and there is nothing wrong with wanting to be accepted for who you are. Making new friends, losing old friends, finding romance, and even making the basketball team help Junior see that there is more to life than what he ever thought possible before leaving the reservation. Being able to look back at life on the reservation from an outsider’s perspective, Junior is able to see how some of the negative aspects of reservation life have affected his family and community.

I found this book to be an easy read, and a quick read, but that did not diminish the fact that Alexie tackles some serious issues through Junior’s experiences. What I liked most about this book was the fact that there was always an underlying element of humor; not necessarily slapstick, but not completely self-deprecating either, the humor acted as a way to lighten up the shocking amount of tragedy that is packed within the roughly 230 pages. When dealing with racism, death, alcoholism, addiction, depression, and so many other “adult” topics, Alexie is able to craft a narrative that presents those topic to a younger audience and shows a realistic portrayal of how life can sometimes suck--but, as cliche as it is, you can always find a silver lining.

One of the other things that I enjoyed about this book was the use of cartoons that helped to elevate the story. Junior loved drawing cartoons, and many of those drawings are included throughout the book as a way to offer comic relief or insight into the different characters and situations that are being discussed. Ellen Forney, who did the art for the book, was able to capture the essence of what a teen cartoonist would create and it was seamlessly woven into the story. The cartoons are often humorous, and I found them to be a great supplement to the reading because I was able to really visualize what was going on in the way the Junior wanted it to be visualized; the drawings were like being able to inside Junior’s mind as he made his way through life.

If you are looking for a book that is filled with laughs, tears, sorrows, and triumphs, then I would highly recommend picking up Sherman Alexie’s, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”--you won’t regret it.

5 out of 5 stars