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

"If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing." -author Alexie as Arnold "Junior" Spirit

Arnold "Junior" Spirit of the Spokane Reservation, or "rez", in Wellpinit, Washington, leaves his reservation to attend high school. He hitchhikes or walks to get there and back, as the opportunities he is afforded off the reservation are worth the 22 mile commute. Aside from academic opportunity, this may be Junior's ticket to leave the reservation and escape the fate of alcoholism that so plagues his community. This decision is not without consequences, of course, he sees himself as a "part-time" Indian and his relationship with his "rez" community is affected, especially with his best friend Rowdy. Through first-person narrative and the cartoons Junior draws, the reader both laughs at the humor and sinks with the tragedy from which the characters cannot fully escape.

This book is relevant and important, as it explores the concept of white privilege. The themes of death and poverty are also apparent throughout the book. Junior also discusses, at length, how his life has been altered and effected by alcoholism.

View all my reviews

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Red Queen

Image
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard My rating: 5 of 5 stars "I grew up wondering if I'd have food for supper; now I'm standing in a place about to be eaten alive." -Mare. Mare is a Red. Red, as in the color of her blood. In Mare's world, there are Reds and Silvers. Silvers do have silver blood, but they also have special abilities or supernatural powers that make them the ruling class over the Reds. The Reds are the serving class, going to war for the Silvers in addition to being the workers who make the Silvers' clothing and exist generally to better the lives of the Silvers. They are nearly a slave class while the Silvers either are royals or seem to live like royals. Mare knows she is going to be sent off to war (she will be conscripted, as she calls it), like her older brothers. Her younger sister, Gisa, is an apprentice to a clothes-maker, so she will be able to avoid going to the war. Mare is envious of her sister and her safer path. Mare
Read more

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Image
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green My rating: 4 of 5 stars "i don't know what freaks me out more- that i matter to him, or that he matters to me." -David Levithan Where to begin? I love this book. It is one of my absolute favorites. It's called Will Grayson, Will Grayson because it is about two different teenagers named Will Grayson. David Levithan authors the Naperville, IL Will Grayson. Naperville Will Grayson lives with his mother, is not affluent (he works to help pay the bills), does not have many friends, and was just betrayed by Maura, his closest friend. John Green authors North Shore Will Grayson, whose parents are doctors, who does what is expected of him, and who tries not to get noticed. He fails at trying not to get noticed simply by being best friends with Tiny Cooper. Tiny is best described in the words of North Shore Will Grayson: Tiny Cooper is not the world's gayest person, and he is not the world's largest person
Read more

Rain Reign

Image
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin My rating: 3 of 5 stars "My official diagnosis is high-functioning autism, which some people call Asperger's syndrome. (Do YOU have a diagnosis?)" -Ann M. Martin Meet Rose, main character and narrator, a 5th grader with high-functioning autism. Rose likes homonyms (Rose/rows), rules, and prime numbers. Rose lives with her father who doesn't always understand Rose and her autism. Rose has a dog she loves and cares for named Rain (reign). Rain gets lost after a hurricane, and Rose develops a plan to find her. Something unexpected happens on Rose's quest to return Rain home, and Rose learns she will have to accept change. Rain Reign is an enjoyable book, definitely for upper elementary and middle grades. Since the narrator is the main character/protagonist, the reader gets a window into the mind of someone who has autism. It's an interesting book I'm sure younger readers will connect with. View all my
Read more