Book Review - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time IndianThe Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Sherman Alexie's writing and have read most of his books but didn't realize he did a Young Adult tome. I read this because it was our book club choice this month.

Mostly based on his own life, the story is told by Indian Arnold Spirit, JR, better known as Junior. Junior is persuaded to move from the reservation school to a public school 22 miles away. This makes him an outcast on the reservation and at the new school he's an outcast until he becomes the star of the basketball team. His struggle between two worlds is a big part of the story.

This book is filled with serious topics of alcohol abuse, poverty, violence, sex, death and racism. It's told in a way that makes it very relatable and the illustrations by Ellen Forney are a great addition to the story. I would recommend it to everyone from tweens on up. It's an eye-opening story for those not familiar with life on some of the reservations and the struggles some Native Americans go through in our world.


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