Thoughts on "Absolutely True Diary"

[Rebecca]

After finishing the book, I can completely understand why so many young adults are drawn to the novel - Junior is an honest and funny narrator, and his life is oftentimes so wild that the story constantly holds the reader's attention. In class, Professor Hathaway put out a rhetorical question concerning the usefulness of the novel in classrooms with less diversity, and I believe she was particularly asking about the way that young adults can relate to Junior when they have never faced the racial tensions that he has experienced. Personally, I felt that Junior was incredibly relatable, and I believe that any kid who doesn't exactly 'fit in' can find a piece of themselves in his character. I especially appreciated his admittance that he felt weak each time he cried, because it indicated a huge change in his character by the end of the novel when he was discussing how brave he felt after "surviving" his first year at Reardan. Any middle-schooler or high-schooler who has ever felt scared or frightened by the big events in their life can find hope for themselves within Junior.
On the other hand, I was surprised at how quickly the novel moved. It seemed like the reader could not even collect their thoughts surrounding one event before they were presented with another. While this didn't necessarily lead me to dislike the novel, I found it interesting and different from the speed of other novels I've read. It certainly represents the pace of life, but it was also heartbreaking to see how often Junior had to deal with negative events. For instance, the loss of his grandmother, Eugene, and his sister all within a few months was astounding, but I also appreciated the discussion of alcoholism and death that it allowed. Sherman Alexie is clearly an expert at navigating sensitive topics. I believe he approached each topic, from masturbation to racism to coping with death, with honesty and grace. For example, I felt that Penelope's eating disorder was handled perfectly. He did not romanticize her bulimia like so many narratives do; instead, he identified it as a real problem and recognized that Junior probably could not do much to help Penelope except support her.
I also loved the ending of the novel. It was bittersweet for Junior to recognize that Rowdy was never going to change, but I really liked that they were able to reconnect. Junior's acceptance of his love for Rowdy, despite everything they'd been through, was so sweet and honest. I would definitely consider Junior to be a positive role model for young boys, even in consideration of the fighting that he engages in. He is really in-touch with himself and his feelings, and he works through his anger and pain in mostly positive ways. It is not often that young male characters are so well thought-out and given so much sensitivity. Alexie was clearly unconcerned about Junior appearing to feminine or 'gay', which is a great development from older young adult novels.
Overall, I felt that the book was amazing and I would definitely support its use in classrooms. Alexie's characters are honest and stay true to real-life actions and reactions, and although the topics do get a little mature, Junior handles everything in a way that makes young adults look up to him.