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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Heartbreaking, funny, and an overall incredibly impactful read. An excellent YA targeted book everyone should read.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very good for YA. - I like the stream of consciousness style of writing, and how the book never apologizes for itself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Alcohol, Classism
Why had I never heard of this book before? It was required reading for one of my college English classes and I must say I am a little upset we couldn't go more into the details of it. Junior is so amazing and perfectly captures life of a "part-time Indian" while discovering that he's truly "Indian" for staying true to himself.
I've matured since the last time that I read this book. (and it doesn't help that this time around, it was assigned reading rather than for leisure). But I actually finished this time! Yay.
While this was assigned reading (weird assigned reading for sure. What am I, in 7th grade?) I really enjoyed this book. It was pretty hilarious but it opened my eyes to a lot of uglier elements of Native American culture.
Previously, I thought Native Americans as only an ancient race, merely a novelty to stare at. But this book humanized them. It wasn't all about the booze and how terrible it was to live on reservations (although there certainly was a lot of that) but Arnold and Alexie managed to just make Native Americans in general more relatable to the general populace. Not a separate population altogether.
Speaking of Arnold.
It is narrated by a 14 year old freshman, Native American boy named Arnold Spirit. Not only was he born with a handful of deficiencies as a child, he is also one of the weirdest boys on the reservation. He draws cartoons for fun (as depicted in the book) and uses these to keep seeing the world as half full. In a short time, he is convinced by his hermit-of-a-sister's former teacher that he needs to get off of the reservation. So he does. He begins to go to school at the white high school in the next town. In doing so, he ostracizes himself from his native american community as well as alienates his former best friend. But he learns a lot in doing so as well and the story chronicles his many adventures and down moments at this high school, torn between being who he is and whom people expect him to be.
The writing was juvy. As it kinda should have been. I didn't understand it when I was...16. But I get now that the voice is meant to better help the reader relate to Arnold and his POV. So I was happy with the general message and hilarity of the story but in all seriousness, it was quite an eye opening experience.
_____________________________________
Alright...never finished. But for the sake of you know...goals....READ.
I wasn't a big fan of the narrator, though, the part that I did read. He was actually pretty depressing and although initially, I thought I would relate to him, I found it hard to do so. Aww well.
People really seem to like this book, though so I'm probably just a minority on this one.
While this was assigned reading (weird assigned reading for sure. What am I, in 7th grade?) I really enjoyed this book. It was pretty hilarious but it opened my eyes to a lot of uglier elements of Native American culture.
Previously, I thought Native Americans as only an ancient race, merely a novelty to stare at. But this book humanized them. It wasn't all about the booze and how terrible it was to live on reservations (although there certainly was a lot of that) but Arnold and Alexie managed to just make Native Americans in general more relatable to the general populace. Not a separate population altogether.
Speaking of Arnold.
It is narrated by a 14 year old freshman, Native American boy named Arnold Spirit. Not only was he born with a handful of deficiencies as a child, he is also one of the weirdest boys on the reservation. He draws cartoons for fun (as depicted in the book) and uses these to keep seeing the world as half full. In a short time, he is convinced by his hermit-of-a-sister's former teacher that he needs to get off of the reservation. So he does. He begins to go to school at the white high school in the next town. In doing so, he ostracizes himself from his native american community as well as alienates his former best friend. But he learns a lot in doing so as well and the story chronicles his many adventures and down moments at this high school, torn between being who he is and whom people expect him to be.
The writing was juvy. As it kinda should have been. I didn't understand it when I was...16. But I get now that the voice is meant to better help the reader relate to Arnold and his POV. So I was happy with the general message and hilarity of the story but in all seriousness, it was quite an eye opening experience.
_____________________________________
Alright...never finished. But for the sake of you know...goals....READ.
I wasn't a big fan of the narrator, though, the part that I did read. He was actually pretty depressing and although initially, I thought I would relate to him, I found it hard to do so. Aww well.
People really seem to like this book, though so I'm probably just a minority on this one.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated