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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
I'm definitely not the target audience for this book, but I'm glad it exists.
This is one of the best books I've read this year! Junior, the narrator, has an incredibly compelling voice. He takes us through his experiences growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation. This sounds cliche, but I actually laughed and cried multiple times while reading this book. I would recommend it to any student in our class, especially those who are working on their reading level.
Sherman Alexie once again proves to me that his voice is undeniable and irresistible. This book goes up with Ten Little Indians in my esteem of his writing.
Arnold Spirit lives! It was like having an eye back into high-school, just smarter and funnier.
Arnold Spirit lives! It was like having an eye back into high-school, just smarter and funnier.
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
This book was so depressing, but in a humorous way. I liked it, and I appreciated it a lot. I grew up just a few hours from Spokane, and my (very white, red-headed) dad worked on the Indian Reservation nearby. So basically the opposite situation of Junior going to an all-white school. My upbringing gave me a better glimpse into Reservation life than most people probably have, and it made this story all the more believable. I love that Sherman Alexie was able to move away and make something of himself, because unfortunately that isn’t the norm. I think everyone could learn from this autobiographical fiction.
After finishing the book and Googling Alexie, I found that he was accused of SA by multiple women and has lost several of the awards he won because of it. This is so disappointing because I think this book could really make a difference (it clearly did when it was written since it won so many awards), but those allegations put a cloud over his work and make it much harder to swallow.
After finishing the book and Googling Alexie, I found that he was accused of SA by multiple women and has lost several of the awards he won because of it. This is so disappointing because I think this book could really make a difference (it clearly did when it was written since it won so many awards), but those allegations put a cloud over his work and make it much harder to swallow.
Sherman Alexie tells Arnold "Junior" Spirit's story with poetry and wry honesty. We follow Junior as he struggles to preserve hope in the face of adversity and, at times, tragedy. His vulnerability and earnestness make it almost impossible not to root for him. Fast read, worth taking the time. I'm looking forward to reading more of Alexie's work.