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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie,

Ellen Forney (Illustrator)

4.08 · Rating details · 249,913 ratings · 25,431 reviews

Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolut ...more

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Hardcover, 230 pages

Published September 12th 2007 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Mar 25, 2019 Miranda Reads rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook

Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community.

Junior, a teenager on the Spokane Indian Reservation (the "rez"), spent his entire life trying to blend in.

He was a smallish kid who used to have seizures. He was picked on and bullied almost constantly.

And then...something snapped.

There are all kinds of addicts, I guess. We all have pain. And we all look for ways to make the pain go away.

Junior realized that he was going nowhere fast and the onl ...more

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Nov 27, 2007 Jess added it

Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: mock-printz-2008, young-adult, high-school, national-book-award, sports

2018 update - with all of the women coming forward with allegations of sexual harassment from Alexie, I'm no longer comfortable with the glowing review I originally wrote. I still think the book is fantastic, but I don't think the same of its author, and I can't promote his writing with any enthusiasm. I'll leave the original review below.
______________________________

I kinda got on the Sherman Alexie bandwagon, as an undergrad, when all freshmen were required to read his The Lone Ranger and Ton 2018 update - with all of the women coming forward with allegations of sexual harassment from Alexie, I'm no longer comfortable with the glowing review I originally wrote. I still think the book is fantastic, but I don't think the same of its author, and I can't promote his writing with any enthusiasm. I'll leave the original review below.
______________________________

I kinda got on the Sherman Alexie bandwagon, as an undergrad, when all freshmen were required to read his The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. I liked it. Put it next to Plato’s Republic and it was pretty damn exciting. But I didn’t go out and gobble up all this other books. Plus I’m not the hugest fan of short stories. But you know me, I’m a sucker for YA. And for YA that everyone’s been raving about. And that wins the National Book Award.

Here’s one of my favorite things about the book: almost everything that makes you laugh is also heartbreaking. This in no way makes it less funny, or less sad. It’s both, perfectly, at once. Just like the times when Junior is heartbroken but can’t. stop. laughing.

Also, Junior is a book kisser.

I grabbed my book and opened it up.
I wanted to smell it.
Heck, I wanted to kiss it.
Yes, kiss it.
That’s right, I’m a book kisser.
Maybe that’s kind of perverted or maybe it’s just romantic and highly intelligent.

While it certainly packs a punch, it’s a quick, engaging read and I think it would be equally engaging to high schoolers and adults. It’s one I could pick up and read through again, if I didn’t have so many others waiting for me.

Also, the 1 and 2 star reviews on Amazon are pretty diverting. “The protagonist is too similar to all of those annoying protagonists in young adult fiction today,” says the 1 star. Yes, they’re all so annoying aren’t they? They’re not, you know, struggling with figuring out who they are and what their place is in the world. They don’t have problems with friends or family or school or themselves. They’re simply annoying. Oh, teenagers. Both reviews pick on the Catcher in the Rye similarities, but honestly I never thought of Catcher until Junior mentioned it on his list of favorite books. Along with The Grapes of Wrath. And Feed. And Fat Kid Rules the World. And Invisible Man. And some others that I haven’t read. But really, I was more struck by the inclusion of Steinbeck and Ellison than the others - you have poverty and you have race, pretty squarely represented. Issues that are much more emphasized, I would say, than any similarities to Holden. ...more

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May 12, 2016 Brina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: native-american

Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a short novel labeled young adult but more appropriate for adult audiences. A mere 230 pages including comic sketches, Alexie details the plight of Arnold aka Junior, a 14 year old Spokane Indian living on a reservation. Born with brain damage to alcoholic parents, Junior was never given a chance by anyone to succeed. It did not help that in his tribe, no one left the reservation. The Spokane Indians would spend their entire liv Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a short novel labeled young adult but more appropriate for adult audiences. A mere 230 pages including comic sketches, Alexie details the plight of Arnold aka Junior, a 14 year old Spokane Indian living on a reservation. Born with brain damage to alcoholic parents, Junior was never given a chance by anyone to succeed. It did not help that in his tribe, no one left the reservation. The Spokane Indians would spend their entire lives on the "rez" in poverty. Most kids would attend more funerals mainly alcohol related by the one they start high school than most adults do in a lifetime. But Arnold wanted something more. Arnold wanted a chance at achieving his dreams.
A quarter of the way into his freshman year of high school, Arnold tells his parents he would like to attend Reardan High School 22 miles away. Just like that, his parents agree to this request even though they realize that it will be a hardship on them. Most of the time, his parents have no money to get him to school and he hitchhikes. Yet, Arnold is determined to succeed even if it means being labeled white by his tribe including his best friend Rowdy and Indian or outsider by the rest of his school.
Arnold had two things going for him- his brains and basketball. His coach took notice of him and placed him on varsity as a freshman. Earning the respect from head jock Roger and head brain Gordy as well semi- girl friend Penelope, Arnold slowly becomes part of Reardan's inner circle. Through his good grades and stellar play on the basketball court, the other students do not label Arnold as "that Indian kid" by the end of the school year.
Filled with teenage angst and dealing with mature themes such as death to loved ones and alcoholism, this book has been banned in many communities. Despite the comics that made me laugh, this is not a book that I would want my kids to read until they are mature enough to handle it. Yet, this is a powerful book for adults, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a glimpse into contemporary life on an Indian reservation, which is unfortunately not only the glitz of the casinos that we hear about. Alexie from this short book appears to be a gifted writer, as this won a notable book award. I look forward to reading more of his works, as well as his documentary film Smoke Signals. ...more

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Mar 02, 2021 Swrp rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“Poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor.”

What.A.Beautiful.Story!
Heart-breaking, yet heart-warming and uplifting.
So authentic, very humane and touches deep in the heart.

This story presents, in general, the difficulties of living through poverty, all the impoverishment associated with family and societal issues, and the will and desire to continue to follow the heart and endeavour to fulfil one`s aspirations. The sp ...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it

Shelves: realistic-fiction, humor, 21th-century, fiction, young-adult

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a novel by Sherman Alexie and illustrated by Ellen Forney.

The book won several awards, and was the first young adult fiction work by Alexie, a stand-up comedian, screenwriter, film producer, and songwriter who has previously written adult novels, short stories, poems, and screenplays. Alexie stated, "I [wrote the book] because so many librarians, teachers, and teenagers kept asking The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a novel by Sherman Alexie and illustrated by Ellen Forney.

The book won several awards, and was the first young adult fiction work by Alexie, a stand-up comedian, screenwriter, film producer, and songwriter who has previously written adult novels, short stories, poems, and screenplays. Alexie stated, "I [wrote the book] because so many librarians, teachers, and teenagers kept asking me to write one."

عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «خاطرات صددرصد واقعی یک سرخپوست پاره‌ وقت»؛ «خاطرات کاملا حقیقی یک سرخپوست نیمه وقت»؛ نویسنده: شرمن الکسی؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: بیست و ششم ماه فوریه سال2011میلادی

عنوان: خاطرات صددرصد واقعی یک سرخپوست پاره‌ وقت؛ نویسنده: شرمن الکسی؛ مترجم: رضی هیرمندی؛ تهران، افق، سال1390، در277ص، مصور، شابک9789643697471؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده21م

عنوان دیگر: خاطرات کاملا حقیقی یک سرخپوست نیمه وقت، با ترجمه سعید توانایی مروی، در انتشارات افراز و در سال1388هجری خورشیدی چاپ و نشر یافته است

فهرست: «باشگاه چشم کبو‌د‌ها»؛ «چرا مرغ این‌همه برای من مهم است؟»؛ «انتقام جزئی از اسم من است»؛ «هندسه همچین الکی نیست»؛ «امید در برابر امید»؛ «وقتی باید بری برو»؛ «چه‌طور باید با هیولاها جنگید»؛ «مشورت با مادربزرگ»؛ «هالووین»؛ «درمانده و آس و پاس پیش به‌سوی عید شکرگزاری»؛ «خواهرم ایمیل می‌فرستد»؛ «درد و رنج گرسنگی»؛ «رقص، رقص، رقص»؛ «به کامپیوترت اعتماد نکن»؛ «بازی نفس‌گیر»؛ «چیزی که عیان است چه حاجت به بیان است»؛ «مراسم شب عزل»؛ «قلب والنتین»؛ «مثل شیر وسط میدان»؛ «من و راودی درباره‌ی بسکتبال بحث جدی و دورودرازی داشتیم»؛ «کارنامه‌ی سال اول دبیرستان»؛ «حالا که حرف لاک‌پشت‌ها شد»؛ «راهنمای بحث»؛ «مصاحبه با الن فورنی»؛

راوی داستان، نوجوان سرخپوستی است، که در قرارگاه «شما البته که بخوانید زندان» زندگی را می‌گذراند؛ به کاریکاتور علاقه دارد؛ و از دید خود، بچه ای دست و پا چلفتی است؛ جونیور، البته این دست و پا چلفتی بودن خود را، با زبان طنز و شاعرانه بیان می‌کند، تا خوانشگر حس کند ایشان دارند بدبختی خود را اغراق‌ آمیز توصیف می‌کنند: (...؛ اوضاع کلاً شلم شوربا و خنده‌ دار شده بود؛ مغزم شده بود عینهو یک ظرف سیب‌ زمینی سرخ کرده ی غول پیکر؛ حالا اگر جدی‌تر و شاعرانه‌ تر و دقیقترش را بخواهید: به دنیا که آمدم روی مغزم آب بود)؛

نقل از متن: (امروز من و مادر و پدرم، به گورستان رفتیم، و قبرهای عزیزانمان را گردگیری کردیم؛ به مادربزرگ، و «یوجین» و«مری» سر زدیم؛ مامان، غذای پیک‌نیکی آورده بود، و بابا ساکسیفونش را؛ بنابراین روز را خوب و خوش گذراندیم؛ ما سرخ‌پوست‌ها، خوب بلدیم چطور یاد مرده‌هامان را زنده نگاه‌ داریم؛ من حالم خوب بود؛ پدر و مادرم، دست هم را گرفتند، و همدیگر را بوسیدند؛ گفتم:‌ «قبرستون که جای عشق‌ بازی نیس.»؛ پدرم گفت: «عشق و مرگ؛ هر چی هست عشق و مرگه!»؛ گفتم: «تو دیوونه‌ ای.»؛ گفت: «دیوونه‌ ی تو.»؛ و بغلم کرد؛ مادرم را هم بغل کرد؛ اشک توی چشم‌های مادرم، حلقه‌ زده بود؛ صورتم را گرفت توی دست‌هایش؛ گفت: «جونیور، من به تو افتخار می‌کنم.»؛ بهترین چیزی بود، که می‌توانست بگوید؛ وسط یک زندگی دیوانه، و مست، آدم باید لحظه‌ های خوب، و هوشیار را، غنیمت بداند؛ خوشحال بودم؛ اما جای خواهرم خالی بود، و هیچ اندازه عشق و اعتمادی، جای خالی‌ اش را پر نمی‌کرد؛ دوستش دارم، و دوستش خواهم داشت، برای همیشه؛ می‌خواهم بگویم معرکه بود؛ چقدر شجاعت به خرج داد، که آن زیرزمین را ول کرد، و رفت «مونتانا»، پی آرزوهایش رفت، به آرزوهایش نرسید، اما به‌ قدر خودش تلاش کرد؛ من هم به‌ قدر خودم تلاش کردم، و ممکن بود در راه آن تلاش کشته شوم، اما می‌دانستم ماندن در قرارگاه هم، مرا می‌کشد؛ این‌ها هم باعث شد، برای خواهرم گریه کنم؛ برای خودم گریه کنم؛ اما برای قبیله‌ ام هم بود، که گریه می‌کردم؛ گریه می‌کردم، چون می‌دانستم باز، سالانه پنج، یا ده، یا پانزده اسپوکن دیگر، خواهند مرد، و بیش‌تر این مرگ‌ها هم، به خاطر عرقخوری خواهد بود)؛ پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 04/10/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 30/08/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

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Apr 06, 2017 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, young-adult-teen, native-americans, coming-of-age

"Everyone on the rez calls me a retard about twice a day. They call me a retard when they are pantsing me or stuffing my head in the toilet or just smacking me upside the head."
"Do you know what happens to retards on the rez?
"We get beat up".
"At least one a month"
"Yep, I belong to the Black-Eye-of-the-Month-Club".

When you're 14 year old and treated like a leper....as much as being outdoors is where every kid wants to be....staying indoors feels safer. So, mostly Arnold Junior Spirit
hangs ou ...more

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Jan 15, 2009 Jodie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

This book has sort of been on my radar, and yesterday I saw it on one of my student's desk. I excitedly asked him what he thought of it, and his face lit up. He told me he had just finished it and repeated, "It was a really good book" about three times, with the most genuine smile I've seen from this kid all year. When I told him it was on my list of books I wanted to read, he handed it to me and said, "take it." Huh? Then he showed me the sticker on the front cover that said, "FREE BOOK! Read a ...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Emily May rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, 2011

Sooo... what do I know about Indians (aka Native Americans)? Well, apparently the average white American knows very little about them and, whether that's true or not, I can confirm that the average Brit knows NOTHING about them. That would include me. Or it would have included me before I read this book.

This book was one of the biggest eye-openers ever. A very funny, kinda sad, eye-opening experience. You see, Arnold Spirit was born on an Indian reservation and raised amongst Indians and educate ...more

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Jan 14, 2020 Robin Hobb rated it it was amazing

I listened to this as an audio book. The version I had was from my library, and is, I believe the tenth anniversary edition.
It was read by the author.

I started out listening to this on my own. I like having a story running in the background while I'm doing routine tasks. But very soon I saw that my husband Fred was also closely tuned into the story. So I timed my listening times so that we could enjoy it together. And enjoy it we did.

I loved Alexie's voice and inflection for this telling. I lov ...more

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Dec 27, 2018 peachygirl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2018

Funny, poignant and heartbreaking, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is a must read for everyone.

Dealing with hydrocephalus, poverty, constant bullying and frequent deaths in a family of drunks, Arnold aka Junior goes through an undeniably hard life growing up in the Spokane Indian Reservation. The journey of this 14 year old trying to manifest his dreams into reality by shifting to an all white school *after alienating his bestfriend and the entire community* and gearing up to fac ...more

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Sep 15, 2011 TK421 rated it really liked it

Shelves: literary

Confession time: I’ve been a bit of a snob when it comes to YA literature. The idea that this type of writing was beneath me, not able to give me what I wanted from a story were my main excuses. I’m not going to say that YA fiction is ever going to replace “literary” adult fiction, but I will say that it has opened my eyes. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN is a magnificent read. The story centers around Junior, a Spokane Indian, and his family who live on a reservation. To be hone Confession time: I’ve been a bit of a snob when it comes to YA literature. The idea that this type of writing was beneath me, not able to give me what I wanted from a story were my main excuses. I’m not going to say that YA fiction is ever going to replace “literary” adult fiction, but I will say that it has opened my eyes. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN is a magnificent read. The story centers around Junior, a Spokane Indian, and his family who live on a reservation. To be honest, I was leery coming into this book. I had read FLIGHT and RESERVATION BLUES and INDIAN KILLER and THE LONE RANGER AND TONTO FISTFIGHT IN HEAVEN, and I was expecting little from this book. Mainly I read it because it won the National Book Award. But Sherman Alexie makes a very straightforward narrative electrifying. Being a South Dakotan, I understand the tenuous relationship between Whites and Native Americans, and to think that I would be moved by a Spokane Indian was never really plausible in my mind. Alexie moved me. His words and ideas and descriptions gave me an insight that I previously lacked. Reading Junior’s story gave me the chance to see what it is like to know as a young person what your future will hold if raised on a reservation. The word bleak does not adequately describe these people’s futures; it is much darker than that. But Alexie doesn’t just paint a grim picture of reservation life; he also illuminates the aspects of life that should be cherished within all colors: family and hope. Junior doesn’t have a lot of hope, at first. But as the story progresses, his family provides him with the needed hope to see that the borders of the reservation are meant to be broken, that it is okay to explore life without knowing what the outcome is going to be. At times hilarious, heart-wrenching, and provocative, this quick read is anything but simple. Well, done, Mr. Alexie, well done. (Plus, who doesn’t like reading about basketball every once in awhile in a novel?)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
...more

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Dec 30, 2007 Betsy rated it really liked it

You can credit Junior with this much; he's not a complainer. Not really. I mean, sure he was born with an enormous head, gigantic feet, crazy eyes, ten more teeth than normal, a stutter, and a lisp . . . . but hey, have you ever seen the guy's cartoons? They're great! Junior isn't the most popular kid on his reservation but he does all right. That is, until the day he snaps after finding his mother's maiden name in an old junky geometry book. Oddly, the teacher he lobs the book in the face of is You can credit Junior with this much; he's not a complainer. Not really. I mean, sure he was born with an enormous head, gigantic feet, crazy eyes, ten more teeth than normal, a stutter, and a lisp . . . . but hey, have you ever seen the guy's cartoons? They're great! Junior isn't the most popular kid on his reservation but he does all right. That is, until the day he snaps after finding his mother's maiden name in an old junky geometry book. Oddly, the teacher he lobs the book in the face of isn't angry. He just tells Junior in no uncertain terms that it would be in his own best interest to leave the reservation. Some way, somehow, he has to get off and make something of himself. Junior's no fool. He's perfectly aware that leaving the rez will be seen as some kind of a betrayal to his friends and neighbors, but the next thing you know he's applied to Reardan. Reardan is a rich, white school where the only Indian is the school mascot. Joining Reardan means that Junior has figure out what he wants from the world, what he needs from his family, and what he should do with his life.

As for the writing, it's top notch. This kind of subject matter requires a seemingly effortless mixture of laughter and tears. Sherman Alexie manages to deliver this, so that a funeral for Junior's grandmother is just as full of outright guffaws as it is pain and distress. Alexie also knows how to wield a delightful one-liner. "PCs are like French people living during the bubonic plague." Or about a bulimic girl who tries to cover it up the odor with gum, "She just smells like somebody vomited on a big old cinnamon tree." Finally, when Junior talks about cartooning as an art, he isn't dinking around. I enjoyed the section where he explained that "If you speak and write in English, or Spanish, or Chinese, or any other language, then only a certain percentage of human beings will get your meaning. But when you draw a picture, everybody can understand it."

Since Part-Time Indian received the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, it has gotten its own fair share of attention. This is great since I felt that cartoonist Ellen Forney clearly needs as much of it as she can get. Forney has created the cartoons that appear throughout Part-Time Indian, charged with the task of making them seem as though they are from the pen of Junior himself. Alexie reportedly requested Ms. Forney specifically for this book. She's not the first cartoonist to come to mind when you picture adolescent teen boy suffering, but credit Alexie for his insight. Somehow her unabashed sexuality and love of the funny works when you tone it down just right. She's definitely reigned in her wilder tendencies (a quick glance at her book I Love Led Zeppelin will confirm this) but she's managed to do it without stifling herself or her natural talent. Who knew she could even draw happy pegasuses and smiley clouds? Not me. I also appreciated the subtlety in some of her cartoons. At one point we look at an image of Junior's best friend Rowdy as he's reading his comic books. In the picture Junior has drawn a big angry face yelling, "What're you drawing??" with the explanation, "Rowdy . . . He hates it when I draw him! Never lets me finish." If you look at the picture carefully, though, you can see the outlines of Rowdy's real features hidden beneath the cartoony angry face.

I may as well just start lobbing this book at the heads of the teens I see entering my library. Anything to get them awake and noticing its existence. My objections are few and my praise strong and clear. A great title and well worth the hype it has been receiving. Go forth, my children, and read it all up. You'll feel better after you do.

...more

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Nov 10, 2020 Julie G rated it really liked it

Shelves: coming-of-age, go-native, washington, a-boy-s-life, reading-road-trip-2020

Reading Road Trip 2020

Current location: Washington

After I finished Crazy Brave for my “Oklahoma” pick this year, I had the revelation that a woman who reads as much as I do should have far more books by Native writers under her belt. (Don't call me “woke,” or I'll throw a water balloon at you).

Sure, I've read John Ehle's Trail of Tears and Scott O'Dell's middle grades fiction that often features a Native protagonist. I also included John Neihardt's Black Elk Speaks for my “South Dakota” pick thi ...more

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Sep 28, 2018 Danielle rated it really liked it

Shelves: fab-book-club-books, banned-books-list

2011 F.A.B. Bookclub pick # I.❤️. F.A.B.

There were several laugh out loud moments that caught me by surprise. There’s some very dry humor happening amongst this very serious and sometimes sad story. Ultimately, this is definitely a male adolescent type book, so keep that in mind. But the overall message was good: that you can rise above expectations and become more than expected, if you dare to be different and step outside the box.

Note: this book is listed as one of the most popular books to b ...more

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Aug 30, 2015 Justin rated it really liked it

In the same way that John Green and Jesse Andrews use humor to deal with heavy issues like cancer, Sherman Alexie uses a similar device to tackle a variety of difficult subjects. He hits racism, bullying, addiction, death, poverty, and other topics all through his narrator's great sense of humor and his hilarious cartoons.

I don't read a ton of YA stuff (although I sure have been lately!), but I try to at least hit the highlights. I think this is the best YA book I've read since The Knife of Nev ...more

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Sep 10, 2018 Amora rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, gems

Back when I was a freshmen in high school I was given this book by my English teacher to read over the weekend for an assignment. I ended up finishing the whole novel in under a day and I loved it. I even remember giving it multiple reads after finishing it. The use of illustrations by the protagonist made this book especially funny. The reason I am an avid book reader now is thanks to this book. I know my testimony isn’t the first of it’s kind and many others were turned into avid readers as a ...more

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Aug 21, 2017 Em Lost In Books rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: stand-alone-read, 2-star, 2017, awards

Looks like I am in minority here as this is a popular book with all those 4 and 5 star ratings and all those glowing reviews.

Let me start with a confession, when I'd came across this title I added it thinking that this would be about Indians of India but I was proved wrong within few pages of starting this. This book is about native American Indians. I was a teeny tiny disappointed but I kept on reading as it has one of my favorite themes i.e. coming of age.

Story is told from PoV of Arnold and ...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Dave Schaafsma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: gn-pedagogy, best-books-ever, ya, best-ya-ever, ya-summer-2015-class, ya-fall-2016, cartoons

Alexie’s autobiographical YA novel features Junior, who escapes into comics (drawn in the manner of a kid, wonderfully, by Ellen Forney) from his often tragic life on the rez, particularly The Spokane Indian Reservation. It’s in a kind of diary format, and the “part-time Indian” part of the title refers to the move he makes to leave the rez school in Wellpinit to travel to an all-white school in Reardan, twenty-two miles away but it might as well be a continent away. That move, initated by a tea Alexie’s autobiographical YA novel features Junior, who escapes into comics (drawn in the manner of a kid, wonderfully, by Ellen Forney) from his often tragic life on the rez, particularly The Spokane Indian Reservation. It’s in a kind of diary format, and the “part-time Indian” part of the title refers to the move he makes to leave the rez school in Wellpinit to travel to an all-white school in Reardan, twenty-two miles away but it might as well be a continent away. That move, initated by a teacher who tells him to get out to save himself, separates Junior from both worlds.

Junior’s best rez friend is Rowdy, who protects him from being beaten up sometimes. In Reardan he also has makes a friend, Gordy, an also smart kid, and gets support from Roger, his basketball teammate, but he also has a (white) girlfriend named Penelope. Junior was born with Hydrocephalus, too much fluid on the brain, which has long time effects including seizures, vision problems, dental issues, and more. He gets beaten up a lot, there’s a lot of fighting on the rez, but Rowdy needs to make sure he doesn’t get hit on the head.

Along the way there are tragedies involving his best friend dog, Oscar, his sister who wants to write romance novels, his Dad’s best friend, Eugene that are somewhat balanced by Junior/Alexie’s laughter in the face of all things bad. You might laugh and cry on the very same page; sometimes it could happen in the same sentence! There’s a streak of rage in Alexie that runs deep. You find it in his novel Indian Killer, but it crops up everywhere, usually about the decimation of Indian culture and land appropriation, but he also has rage about the devastation of alcoholism, which continues to destroy lives everywhere, but disproportionately in Indian populations. The damage it does to Junior’s life is extensive, and he’s mad about it. And at the same time, Junior finds something to laugh about, sometimes hysterically, about these losses.

The epigraph for the book comes from Yeats: “There is another world, but it is in this one.” This idea works in various ways in this book. Many people don’t know the depression and poverty of Indian reservations, even today. That often sad world of the rez exists in the larger world of the U. S., largely invisible. But the world of the spirit also exists within the world of the rez, a world of hope, of escape from disabilities, brutality.

There’s a lot of laugh out loud humor in this book, often laughing at uncomfortable subjects, laughter amid tears. There’s hope in that laughter, but it’s comolicated, because you don’t want to make the mistake of thinking things are all right because of the jokes. But for Junior hope also comes packaged as books, Indian culture, basketball, friendship, family, even as he identifies the long sad history of the destruction of Indian culture in this country, and the rampant depression, the inadequate health care, the hunger, Junior’s various disabilities. There’s blame here for white America, but Alexie/Junior also blames Indians sometimes for their share of responsibility in taking itself down. Shared responsibility, collective rage.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian may not be for everyone. There may be a little too much sexual language for some readers, there’s a regular thread about masturbation in it. The language can at times be more graphic than in most YA books. The book sometimes substitutes jokes for deeper characterization, in places. He goes for the joke too much maybe, but the jokes are so good and painfully true! I loved reading this sad and funny book again with my class. It affirms the importance of self-expression through words, through comics, stories.
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Jan 16, 2017 Bill Khaemba rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fav-2017

I am sitting here just staring at the ceiling, I still can’t believe that this book packed such a punch. My sister just walked into the room and asked me what’s wrong and I threw the book at her…

Image result for Read it gif

“If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.”

I don’t know if I will manage to convince anyone to at least attempt to pick this up, but I will give it my best.

The story is told from The First person by Junior, ...more

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May 13, 2015 Lindsey Rey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, 2015, contemporary

Highly recommend this one! Trigger warnings for alcoholism, depression, and eating disorders.

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Apr 04, 2016 Jesse (JesseTheReader) rated it really liked it

Really enjoyed this! It was a rather interesting writing style. It had this very casual feeling to it. I will say that there are a few things here and there that irked me, but for the most part it was enjoyable. Full video review to come! :)

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Sep 16, 2014 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it really liked it

4.5 well deserved stars!

This review contains helpful spoilers. :)

This book authentically tells us about the consequences of racism, stereotyping and isolation in the eyes of a 14 year old boy, Arnold Spirit Jr., a native Indian American who ironically suffered 14 years of bullying in the hands of his fellow tribesmen in their reservation. It's funny how Arnold only started to believe in what he can do and be accepted when he transferred to a school outside their reservation where all stu 4.5 well deserved stars!

This review contains helpful spoilers. :)

This book authentically tells us about the consequences of racism, stereotyping and isolation in the eyes of a 14 year old boy, Arnold Spirit Jr., a native Indian American who ironically suffered 14 years of bullying in the hands of his fellow tribesmen in their reservation. It's funny how Arnold only started to believe in what he can do and be accepted when he transferred to a school outside their reservation where all students except for him and their mascot are white. Though at first, he suffers derision and all sorts of insulting stereotypes White Americans concoct about Indians, he slowly starts earning friends, a pretty white semi-girlfriend and even a slot in the varsity basketball team. Even when his new friends discover that Arnold's family is poor, they do not shun him. In fact, it is his fellow tribesmen who rejected him for transferring and leaving them, calling him names like apple (red in the outside but white in the inside-a part-time Indian as indicated in the title).

The most ironic thing about this book is how Arnold humorously and comically narrates his story in his diary. Because even though he's already talking about his terrible and painful experiences in life such as the death of a family member, his poverty, and the lifelessness of the people in their reservation, he relates them as indifferently and as jokingly as he can that you wouldn't know whether you'll laugh or cry. He even makes sketches and drawings that make you crack up and forget that what he's actually telling is a very sad thing.

It's also mystifying how a death of someone can unify a people, making them forget differences and ill feelings which was exactly how Arnold came to feel that he is still one with his tribe and that even if this is true, it doesn't mean that he cannot belong to other tribes anymore. In fact, he realizes that he belongs to many tribes of the world (tribe of book lovers, of basketball lovers, of travelers, of dreamers, etc.)

The manner by which the story is written to me is also very genuine as if everything is coming from an actual 14 year old American-Indian boy and I give credit to the author and the cartoonist for that.

I strongly recommend every American to read this book. In fact, I strongly recommend everyone to read this book because for some reason, I think everyone regardless of skin color at some point, has become a racist in its most general meaning. Most of us are guilty of stereotyping which is one of the main sub classes of racism and this is one great book that will remind us of our quick and easy, but often wrong judgment. ;) ...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Whitney Atkinson added it

Shelves: need-to-reread, read-in-2013

I'm removing my rating & review for this book until I reread it because I don't think I was at an age where I could truly comprehend it, and I know the insensitive phrasing of my original review calling it unrealistic may have hurt and/or misled people who previously saw the review. ...more

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Jul 27, 2015 Ashley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: addictive, fiction, young-adult, epistolary, illustrated, americana, humor, award-winners, middle-grade, books-about-writers

Dammit, I knew I should have written this review when I first finished the book, but I decided to push it off because it seemed too hard to try and sum up all my feeeeelings, but joke’s on me, now it’s even harder!

Sherman Alexie has been one of my favorite writers since I was in college and one of my English comp teachers made us watch Smoke Signals, which is based off Alexie’s short story, “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona,” and for which he also wrote the screenplay. I thought the Dammit, I knew I should have written this review when I first finished the book, but I decided to push it off because it seemed too hard to try and sum up all my feeeeelings, but joke’s on me, now it’s even harder!

Sherman Alexie has been one of my favorite writers since I was in college and one of my English comp teachers made us watch Smoke Signals, which is based off Alexie’s short story, “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona,” and for which he also wrote the screenplay. I thought the film was hilarious (and sad) and so decided to look up the source material. I’m not usually one for short stories (even short story collections by my favorite authors, for instance Neil Gaiman, have a hard time holding my attention). I much prefer longer narratives (and as a young person, the longer the better) so as to really have the time and space to get invested. But for some reason, Sherman Alexie was instantly an exception. I own all his short story collections, and have re-read them several times. When I taught English comp myself, I regularly taught my favorite of his stories, “Dear John Wayne” as a way to have the kiddos engage critically on the subject of gender roles and race. In fact, until I read this book, I had ONLY read his short stories. Why did I do this? I have no idea. I love Sherman Alexie in short form, why wouldn’t I love him in long form as well, my preferred medium?

It also shouldn’t have surprised me that he’d be so good at writing for young people. He’s almost brutal about portraying the realities of the world as he sees it. Kids love that brutal honesty shit. We really shouldn’t coddle them if they’re willing to listen. They’re the ones it’s easy to change. He’s also hilariously funny, as per the usual. And what’s even better is that he’s funny in the service of his narrative, and not just to be goofy. The serious subject matter makes the jokes funnier, and the jokes make the serious subject matter hit home.

This thing seems like it popped up fully formed. (In large part, I’m sure it did, since it seems to be at least partly autobiographical.) Junior’s voice is so, so engaging and unique. The artwork is not only super entertaining (and moving), but it also seamlessly interweaves with the narrative. The book wouldn’t have been the same without it. Alexie juggles so many balls in this book. It’s a coming of age story, and a story about growing up poor. It's about systemic racism, and the social realities of living on a reservation. The pervasive pessimism, the alcoholism. And yet, it’s also optimistic, and it does this without being cloying or naïve. Junior gets out and will ostensibly make something of himself, but not without a cost.

So yeah, I loved this book. Read it in one sitting. I need to own my own copy immediately. I also need to finally get on reading his other novels (Flight, Indian Killer, Reservation Blues). If they’re half as good as this book, I will enjoy myself immensely.

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Aug 24, 2015 Mario rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own-read

If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.

Now this book completely caught me off guard. I expected this to be just another light and easy read. I didn't expect it to become one of my favorite books of the year so far. But it did.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was such a heartwarming book. For some reason it (at least to me) felt like a mix of I Am the Messenger and Wonder, and I freaking loved both of those books.

This book was funny (I mean ...more

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Feb 06, 2016 Julie Ehlers rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-and-kidlit

I consider Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven one of my favorite books, but as is often my way, I read it over 10 years ago and inexplicably haven't read anything else by Alexie since. Maybe I just worry no other books will live up to that first one. But The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has obviously garnered a lot of attention--it won the National Book Award, and here in my town it was the "One Book, One Philadelphia" selection a few years back. There' I consider Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven one of my favorite books, but as is often my way, I read it over 10 years ago and inexplicably haven't read anything else by Alexie since. Maybe I just worry no other books will live up to that first one. But The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has obviously garnered a lot of attention--it won the National Book Award, and here in my town it was the "One Book, One Philadelphia" selection a few years back. There's always a big pile of copies of it in my local bookstore, and I finally gave in to it--I don't read a ton of YA, but perhaps subconsciously I thought this would prevent me from directly comparing it to Lone Ranger and Tonto.

I'm not sure this strategy worked, exactly, because at first I was disappointed by the tone of this--it just seemed a little too goofy, and I began to wish I'd chosen some other Alexie for my second book. Fortunately, as I kept going, I warmed to the characters, all of whom were extremely well drawn, and I was very moved by Junior's experiences both on the reservation and at his new school off the rez. I also began to notice similarities between this and Lone Ranger and Tonto--mainly in the use of mild magical realism and the telling of (tall?) tales from the past.

I'm really impressed by what an achievement this is as a work of YA fiction. There are literally millions of kids in this country (and parents, let's be honest) who have no idea what life is like on a reservation and what the experience can be when you leave it. It's so valuable to have a book like this, which gets this (often grim) message across yet is funny, unpretentious, and entirely fun to read. I'm hoping this book is being taught in schools and finds its way into a lot of hands, because it deserves every bit of attention it gets.

This book is illustrated by Ellen Forney, and the art is fun and sometimes quite interesting. My edition had an interview with Forney at the end, and if your copy has it as well, don't skip it--it's a fascinating look at her artistic process in creating the illustrations, and it made me appreciate them even more.

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Jun 06, 2009 Tatiana rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: everybody

Recommended to Tatiana by: Amazon Best book of 2007

Shelves: ya, national-book-award, 2009

I am ashamed to admit, I don't know much about Native Americans. What is even more shameful is that the little that I know is taken directly from Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books. So you can imagine what an eye-opener this book has been to me.

"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" narrates a story of Arnold Spirit, Jr., a Spokane Indian teenage boy who is determined to take his future into his own hands. The only way for him to do it however is to leave his troubled school on the rese ...more

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Jan 25, 2017 Tom Mathews rated it really liked it

Shelves: banned-books, owned, humor, kids-stuff, read-in-2017

This is another book I took a long time getting around to reading. My desire to read it was driven partly because it has been banned in several school districts, most likely for references to masturbation and boners and other topics of interest to the normal 14 year-old boy. My thanks to the fine folks at The Banned Books Club group for giving me the opportunity to read and discuss this and many other fine books.

Alexie's book is a unique coming-of-age tale of Junior, a Spokane Indian boy growin ...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Rowena rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

"Reservations were meant to be prisons, you know? Indians were supposed to move onto reservations and die. We were supposed to disappear."- Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

I rarely enjoy YA books but I really liked this one. Narrated by Junior (Arnold) Spirit it tells the story of the life of a young Indian boy on and off a reservation

Junior, an unlucky boy living on an Indian reservation in Spokane, Washington,was born with too much cerebral spinal fluid in his s ...more

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Jul 06, 2015 Book Riot Community added it

Shelves: young-adult

It seems I’ve taken my sweet time getting to Sherman Alexie’s work, and for that I’m kind of bummed. While I’ve heard the rave reviews of this novel in particular–with its National Book Award and all–I had my doubts. I don’t always read the YA books, but when I do, I hope that they are as finely written as this one with a unique narrative voice, an emotional reading experience, and plenty to think about, no matter what your age. — Andi Miller

from The Best Books We Read In June: http://bookriot.c ...more

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About Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie

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Sherman J. Alexie, Jr., was born in October 1966. A Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, he grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, WA, about 50 miles northwest of Spokane, WA. Alexie has published 18 books to date.
Alexie is an award-winning and prolific author and occasional comedian. Much of his writing draws on his experiences as a modern Native American. Sherman's best known works in ...more