Name: Paula Plaza Ponte 's review of The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Item: The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian
Rating: 5
Author: Paula Plaza Ponte

Sherman Alexie

Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian

Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.


The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Emma Hak-Kovacs

But it wasn't okay. It was about as far from okay as you can get. If okay was the earth, then I was standing on Jupiter.

Sol (they/them)

Paula Plaza Ponte 

This book was hard to put down. It was also difficult to read (content wise, I mean) at times. Does that make sense? From his brain condition, to the violence, to anger being the default emotion for most of the people surrounding Junior, I was constantly waiting for the shoe to drop. While I held my breath though, moments where I laughed aloud let me breathe again. I liked the illustrations, the interesting, strong women, his grandma and Mary, the juxtaposition of Rowdy and Gordy, his two best friends -- and all the conversations about anything metaphorical, boners included. I would recommend this to many of the kids so they can traverse a lot of familiar things in a different setting, culture and ways of thinking. All in all, a great read.

my high school self would definitely rate this book a solid four stars for its witty and desperate fourteen years old main character with financial dilemma and crippling anxiety. you don’t have to be indian to find yourself in junior. 

Hannah DCamp

4.5 stars, because I'm not a teenage boy and all the talk of boners was a bit much for me.

I'm always inclined to bump fiction that centers Native Americans to the top of my list, but until the last two months that meant almost nothing because my list was complete anarchy at all times. This book continued to catch my eye nonetheless, partly because it was constantly under attack by angry parents, and I work in libraries, which means I hear talk of these angry parents all the time. Usually I think I have a lot in common with those parents - I'm (generally) angry about some random thing, I don't think explicit content has a place in school libraries (the definition of what that is is where we get shaky I think), I have weird thoughts about education, and I'm (...generally) angry. I also hadn't read the book, also much like many of them.

Now I have. And I'll be darned if I don't think this is one of the best books I've ever read. It deserves that award emblazoned on its cover. It's obvious to me why people object to this book - I've already mentioned the boners, which come up more than I think is necessary. There's also more talk of masturbation than we need, and some very objectionable language that comes up. The result is a very realistic portrayal of a young teenaged boy; I won't bore you all with my thoughts about the value of authenticity and whether or not strict authenticity is necessary. From a reader's perspective I wish it wasn't there. From a writer's perspective, I can see that the result is a consistent, authentically realistic character, and any deviation from this would have made Junior less of who he was. Simply put, I don't know if it could have been done differently, but I suspect it could have.

Beside the point. Literally, the boners and rampant teenage boy hormones and uncalled for language is all beside the point. Because the point is that Junior grew up in a place devoid of hope, where he was constantly bullied for little to no reason, with zero plans for a future that looked any different than any other Indian in the reservation. If this book is shocking (aside from the ways I already mentioned), it's because it was intended to be. It opens a window that can't be closed. We don't have to like what we see, because that's not the reason we're asked to look. If it's not shocking, maybe it's because you've already been in a place like it. This was heartbreaking, and hopeful, and devastating and triumphant and so important. I respect those parents who don't want their younger kids reading it, because it is genuinely vulgar; but I also think older teens should be encouraged to read this.

the absolutely true diary of a part-time indian

Annika Arguemore

A very important read, because it discusses the significance of breaking boundaries set upon by society and how futile those boundaries are in contrast to reaching your dreams.

Anlo Dumalaog

Kristin Boren

You will be even more furious at the US government than you already are when you finish this. Absolutely 100% worth reading

Samantha gust 

This book is about Arnold a 15-year-old boy living on an Indian reservation. We see how he struggles with fitting in and his battle with being like everyone else. We see him realize how he's not happy living on the rez for the rest of his life. We see Arnold start an all-white school called Reardan. We see him navigate his new life and his battles with having betrayed his people by leaving the rez. We see his battle with love and death. As well as his drive to be more in life.


The book was ok I have to say there were a few spelling mistakes. And to me, the characters were not given enough opportunity to grow as characters. I wish there would have been more detail more effort but in. So that why I rate this⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
Two out of five stars. 

If your looking for a quick read and don't mind the issues listed feel free to check this out.

Colleen

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian tells the story of one of the biggest underdogs ever penned. Junior has everything going against him. Yet he is still an optimistic dreamer. This book is the story of him trying to find his place in the world. 

It's a very touching story. At times it was funny and at other times it was poignant. The story balanced the humor and deep emotion well. (Note: since it is written as the diary of a fourteen year old boy, it does have some crudeness in it. But I did not think detracted from the story. It's probably more realistic that way.) I read this book directly after reading The Fault in Our Stars which also tried to be funny and heartrending but struggled too much to truly be either. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian transitioned between the two seamlessly and presented an interesting juxtaposition of topics. 

The story mainly focuses on cultural identity, but also touches on other issues such as alcoholism, abuse, poverty, eating disorders, grief, and racism. The story covered these issues well while still inserting some self-deprecating humor and every day issues such as fitting in at school. I was routing for Junior the whole time.

I do wish that the book was a little more fleshed out. It's only novella length. But it was an enjoyable, touching story.

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 Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live. With a forward by Markus Zusak, interviews with Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney, and four-color interior art throughout, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike.

Lacy W

tw: use of the following derogatory words: I*ndian, n***er, f**got and r**ard, extreme bullying, alcoholism, family death, disordered eating

This book was chosen as the book of the month for the Banned Book club. Click here to be taken to the Goodreads page. 

Obviously, what Sherman Alexie had done is disgusting. I absolutely do not condone it. I was aware of this while reading the book. I did not buy the book so no monetary support was given to him.

I had this book read to me in high school. I know that sounds weird but my school must have thought that a lot of us couldn’t read or something, despite the fact that I read almost the entire library and was in there just about everyday. I can’t stand having books being read to me so I blocked a lot of this book out because I was a rebellious teenager. Plus, I don’t think we ever actually finished this book, if memory serves me right. I remembered none of it so it was refreshing to read this on my own as part of the Banned Book club.

This book was what I would call a slice of life. There was no real plot per se. We basically follow the life of Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, for a year as he navigates being Native American in a predominately white school. We also learn a lot about Native Americans and the reservations.

The way this was written was very interesting (as it was first person) and I think it fit the story well. I felt like I was talking to a friend about life and everything. If not for the trigger warnings, this would be a really good middle grade novel. Don’t get me wrong, I think middle schoolers can handle some things but this book is pretty graphic sometimes with the swearing and I don’t think it would be super appropriate to have that. I also appreciated the illustrations. It read younger and it felt like a younger novel. I honestly believed that Junior was as young as he was, which I cannot remember how young he was. Oops.

The book showcases a lot of what Native Americans went through and are still going through. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and disgusting that we treat people this way. I did a report on Native Americans as part of a college class and I was absolutely aghast at the treatment of Native Americans from the US government. Just absolutely aghast. I did a powerpoint and I kid you not, I had about 5 (five) slides full of ridiculous laws that were enacted upon Native Americans. I even had it tiny font to fit everything. Often times, while reading, my heart would break for Junior. He suffered so much loss and heartbreak for being so young. Nobody should ever have to experience the things he went through.

Overall, this was a good book. Despite the controversy, I’m glad I read it. I really think it highlights things that are happening in our own backyard. It really makes you think about how cruelly we treat people, even unintentionally. Even though the author has done some things, I think the book itself is important.

Savindi Jinasena

A wonderfully witty, heartfelt and emotional book. Basically everybody needs to read this book.

Jeannette Ordas

I loved this book. It was whip-smart, funny, and I loved the Ellen Forney drawings.

Siya S

Ummm I think I'll give it somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars. I like it a lot but I don't love it. I mean, I like it that it told me shitload of things I've never known about native Americans; their struggles and the endless cycle of poor welfare and doom. I like it that it focused on about finding your own 'tribes' and not giving up. I also like it that it emphasized on the idea of stepping out of the comfort zone and daring to go out exploring the world.

But somehow the experience was a bit unsatisfying. Junior was, most of the time, struggle wih himself rather than his surroundings. And the stories kept shifting uts focus so that in the end none of them were explored or developed to the point of being memorable. So Penelope was bulimic with a rather challenging dad, and? So Gordy was a good friend to Junior and helped him study, and? Junior was poor as fuck and his father was a drunk, and? Something like that.

The story was hilarious and fast-paced though. I finished the book in one sitting actually. Junior was a rather pleasant protagonist. The cartoons were great, too. It was emotional at times, which I love.

Isabela H 

I don't really know what I was expecting when I started reading this book, but it definitely wasn't what it turned out to be. 
I loved the storytelling and I loved Junior, he was an amazing character who was incredibly complicated yet simple in his fears and desires and I loved him for it.

jess

Tracie McMurray

Brutally honest and relatable. Straightforward with delightful drawings. This book feels like an authentic look at a freshman Native American kid in a high school surrounded by white people. I loved it!

Dana Kraft

I really enjoyed this one. The writing style seemed very conversational, honest and believable to me. While the main character endures some pretty rough stuff, it's interesting to see what bothers him and what he revels in. It makes me think about what people can perceive as "normal".

Heather Anne

I actually stopped reading this book with 30 pages left because it was just so bad. The only reason I read as much as I did was because I had to for a book club. I draw the line at the f slur. We get the r slur on like page 4, the kid disregards the severity of eating disorders and calls bulimia sexy. Half the characters are racist. He views women as literal objects. It's just so bad. I can't even listen to the message it's trying to get across because I'm so distracted by how absolutely horrible it is.

Bunnhi

This is a great short story about overcoming fears, traditions, and the rough patches along the way that truly tests your human "spirit". Bravo Sherman Alexie.

Sarah Escorsa

This was an okay read but I'm afraid I'm not as enthusiastic about it as other readers are. I wasn't aware that this book had been written for young adults before reading it, which might be why this book didn't really do it for me.

Tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist who leaves his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white high school.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

Flavia Louise

1.25 stars

This book did talk about important issues, just not in a good/right way and I did not enjoy it at all.

I am not really sure why it won the National Book Award....

Nadine 

I loved it. Yes there is a lot of swearing, yes it is very gritty and real and yes it is a reality most children hopefully won't have to encounter in their lives. But he writes so well. And there is redemption for everyone. Read it with your kids if you're prudish or feel the need to over-explain everything, or just give it to them and let them enjoy it for what it is.

Brittney Wilson

Logan Dittbrenner

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a young adult realistic fiction novel. I found that this is a good book to read if you are in a reading slump. The humor reminds me a lot of Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl. Even though I had no desire to finish that book I did enjoy reading this book. There were some things that bothered me in this story. One of them being Penelope who has an eating disorder. I didn’t like how they described it and I thought it was very unnecessary. There are some hard topics in this book. One of them being alcoholism. In the beginning I really liked Mr. P’s character and the advice he gives. Throughout this story I enjoyed seeing character development and the cartoons. Some of the overall morals of this book were community, and you don’t have to have a lot of money to have a good life. I would recommend this book if you are in a reading slump.

Sol (they/them) &
The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Sol (they/them) &The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Sol (they/them) &
The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie