The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking, this brilliant young adult novel from the talented Sherman Alexie, whose adult output ranges from poetry (The Business of Fancydancing) to prose fiction (The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven), not to mention screenwriting (Smoke Signals), marks the author's first foray into the juvenile market. One certainly hopes that it will not be the last! The story of Arnold Spirit, a young Spokane Indian colloquially known as Junior, and his incredible freshman year of high school, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian seems to be heavily based upon Alexie's own life story. Like Alexie, Junior - determined to break out of the cycles of poverty and alcoholism gripping so many of his show more fellow reservation residents - leaves the res school behind, and enrolls at the high school in a nearby all white farming community. Labeled a traitor by many of his fellow Indians, and rejected by his former best friend, Rowdy, Junior must confront a school community where he isn't just a newcomer, but the only Indian (save for the mascot).

I found Junior, whose clear-sighted, but compassionate observation of the people around him, whether Indian or white, produced many a humorous passage, to be a convincing narrator. The 'disappearance' of certain issues from the narrative (something mentioned in other reviews) - from the fact that Junior's lisping, and physical disabilities are never mentioned again, after first being introduced into the story, and seem not to effect his life at Reardon High; to the non-relevance of Penelope's bulimia, despite Junior's relationship with her - never even occurred to me, in the course of my reading. I am constrained to admit, having now read these other reviews, that these are legitimate concerns, but somehow - through the strength of the narrative voice? perhaps because of the emotional immediacy of the story? - they just didn't register with me, or really alter my opinion of the book, after the fact. I think that Alexie's ability to convince me, despite these issues, that his story is realistic and believable, speaks to his skill as a writer, and to the truth of his tale. Sometimes reality can be very unlikely indeed.

I have not contended, as Junior has done, with any physical disabilities in my life, nor have I known, as he has, the experiences of poverty or racism. And yet, in so many ways, his story spoke to me, and I think that this ability - to be both specific in experience, but universal in feeling - is a hallmark of great writing. So many moments in this book moved me, from the heartbreaking death of Junior's dog, Oscar, because his family can't afford veterinary treatment for him (the "worst thing about being poor"); to that astonishing moment of epiphany, toward the close of the story, in which Junior realizes that he has a place, not just in his tribe, but in the wider world as well. That dizzying feeling of connection to larger realities, is one that we have all had, at one time or another, but remains difficult to express, in any meaningful way. I'm glad that I have finally read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which has been on my "radar" since it was first published, and thank The Children's Fiction Club to which I belong for making it their December selection. Now I will just have to wait and hope, along with all of Alexie's other readers, that he pens another tale in this vein. Perhaps the story of Junior at college...? show less

I read the e-book (including drawings) and listened to the audio read (passionately) by the author; both are amazing. Any book that elicits this many simultaneous emotions is a winner. Alexie channels his teen angst voice amazingly well, with great humor, and Ellen Fornie's drawings are the perfect vehicle. It's not about just a kid from the rez, this is all about the human condition with all its cruelty, passion and hope. I wish I'd had this book when I was 15, and I'm so glad I have it now. I love reading books that have been banned or challenged, but I must say, the masturbation references were minimal.

This is read by the author himself, so that's always a bonus. This is a fabulous coming-of-age story that isn't part of the typical (white) lexicon. Arnold (Junior) Spirit is a Spokane Indian living on the rez in Washington state. He tells us his life story, the important background being his hydrocephalus, though apart from his very first days that has not been a true issue. He is an underdog of underdogs. When he starts high school, a funny string of events gets him suspended from school for throwing a book at a teacher (the text book he receives was his mother's, prompting him to realize he is being taught math with a 30-year-old book). He decides he wants to attend the nearest white school, rather than the reservation school. His show more teacher (the one he injured) is the one exhorting him to get off the rez because he knows Arnold has a brighter future. The story chronicles mostly this freshman year of change and ultimately acceptance but it is not without steep price and the inner turmoil of bettering himself vs. betraying his race. Told from Arnold's honest, quirky, naive viewpoint, the story has as much humor as heartbreak. Not only is there all the adolescent angst of 9th grade, but also the added rejection of his best friend Rowdy, whom he leaves behind and the animosity of most of his neighbors and relatives. There is personal family tragedy too, which turns out to be a disturbing portrait of reservation life -- Arnold has been to 42 funerals in his young life. And alcohol is a persistent shadow. But Arnold makes it -- through this one year at least, in large part due to basketball, devoted parents and his ability to take things at face value and not personally. In a warped way, his expectations are so low he is never disappointed. show less

I just finished reading this book for the second time. The first read was shortly after it was published, and I sent it to my young grand-nephew who lives in Seattle. This time around I needed something funny but poignant to take my mind off what's happening in the world. This second reading didn't disappoint. Junior speaks for all of us, doesn't he? Our insecurities, our hopes, our dreams, our struggles to make our lives better. Layered on top of his experience, though, are factors most of us don't have to take into account: racism, poverty, alcoholism, and a pervasive feeling of being an actual Other--not just in the figurative, teen-aged angst filled sense of being different. The pathos lying just beneath the surface of Alexie's show more writing is what wins me over every time I read his books. show less

Simultaneously hilarious and heart-wrenching, and ultimately full of hope and redemption. Arnold Spirit is born to a very poor family on the Spokane Indian Reservation. He knows that his future as a Native American is dismal, full of poverty, violence, and alcoholism. The only way he can escape this future is to go to a white school, which his friends and family see as a rejection of his Native American culture.

The book grapples with a lot of big issues, and has some incredibly sad moments. It is funny though - sometimes because laughter is the only way to cope with the pain. Ultimately it is about the persistence of love between family and friends.

If I have any complaint about the book, it is that it is too hopeful, and seems to show more sugar-coat some of the hardships of Native American life. Arnold is very lucky because he has a loving and supportive family. The story would be very different if it were told from the point of view of his best friend Rowdy. show less

When is a YA novel not truly a YA novel? Perhaps when it transcends the conventions of the genre to become a pointed critique of race and socioeconomic class. Or when it is written with such honesty and humor that it feels (absolutely) true rather than fictional. Or when the book is done and you think, “I want to stay in this book some more!” Sherman Alexie’s novel achieves of all these ends and more.

Narrated by Arnold/Junior Spirit, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” defies classification. It is most assuredly semi-autobiographical, its opening lines recall that most classic Bildungsroman “David Copperfield” (whereas David was born with a mystical caul, Junior was born “with water on the brain”), and show more the story is told through both words and illustrations, although it is not actually a graphic narrative.

The hybrid nature of the story reflects Arnold/Junior’s hybrid identity. Although it would be quite pointless to try to trace a typical “plot” within this book, Arnold/Junior’s stories create a narrative synergy that resonates with meaning and truth. It might be most accurate to sum up the “plot” of this narrative by describing it as Arnold/Junior’s quest for his identity—and he often comments upon this very issue throughout his journey from the rez in Wellpinit to his high school in the white town of Reardan, the “hometowns” to which Alexie dedicates the book. But the book is so much more than that, as it poignantly depicts the struggles of Junior’s entire community and the multiple demons—poverty, alcoholism, hopelessness—that confront them every day.

Despite the grim nature of many of the events in the novel, Alexie imbues the tale with a genuine sense of joy and hope. This book is a monumental achievement, suitable for all readers, YA or otherwise. show less

Alexie nimbly blends sharp wit with unapologetic emotion in his first foray into young-adult literature.

Fourteen-year-old Junior is a cartoonist and bookworm with a violent but protective best friend Rowdy. Soon after they start freshman year, Junior boldly transfers from a school on the Spokane reservation to one in a tiny white town 22 miles away. Despite his parents’ frequent lack of gas money (they’re a “poor-ass family”), racism at school and many crushing deaths at home, he manages the year. Rowdy rejects him, feeling betrayed, and their competing basketball teams take on mammoth symbolic proportions. The reservation’s poverty and desolate alcoholism offer early mortality and broken dreams, but Junior’s knowledge that show more he must leave is rooted in love and respect for his family and the Spokane tribe. He also realizes how many other tribes he has, from “the tribe of boys who really miss . . . their best friends” to “the tribe of tortilla chips-and-salsa lovers.”

Junior’s keen cartoons sprinkle the pages as his fluid narration deftly mingles raw feeling with funny, sardonic insight. (Fiction. YA)

- Kirkus Review show less