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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
slow-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
Parts of this are not my sense of humor, and the language is clearly dated, but overall it was funny, heartbreaking, and well done.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Yes
challenging
reflective
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
I've just finished reading this book for the 2nd time, and I'm going to plan on reading this book again and again. Even though this book is about a horny teenage, basketball-playing Indian boy on the Spokane Indian Reservation, I could totally relate to him. Most times, I feel like a Part-Time Indian, having left the rez for better opportunities, just like the main character, Arnold.
My absolute favorite part of this book is the conversation Arnold has with his friend, Rowdy, about being nomadic, about going where life is better despite having to leave family and friends. Rowdy says, "You're an old-time nomad. You're going to keep moving all over the world in search of food and water and grazing land. That's pretty cool."
My ancestors were nomads, and we still are, to an extent, moving around to find better lands for the animals to feed. So this statement about being a modern nomad really spoke to me, and made me feel better about leaving, even though I miss home.
Alexie has a gift of storytelling that transcends race and culture, so I know that you don't have to be an Indian to enjoy this book. If you ever get a chance to hear Alexie speak in person, take that opportunity because the man is just as impressive at a podium as he is in print.
My absolute favorite part of this book is the conversation Arnold has with his friend, Rowdy, about being nomadic, about going where life is better despite having to leave family and friends. Rowdy says, "You're an old-time nomad. You're going to keep moving all over the world in search of food and water and grazing land. That's pretty cool."
My ancestors were nomads, and we still are, to an extent, moving around to find better lands for the animals to feed. So this statement about being a modern nomad really spoke to me, and made me feel better about leaving, even though I miss home.
Alexie has a gift of storytelling that transcends race and culture, so I know that you don't have to be an Indian to enjoy this book. If you ever get a chance to hear Alexie speak in person, take that opportunity because the man is just as impressive at a podium as he is in print.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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:
Yes
It's strange how the Diary-of-a-Wimpy-Kid-style of this book makes it it on one hand hard to take the story seriously, but on the other hand it saves the book from being completely fucking depressing. Like it is simultaneously not serious enough and way too serious. It's a way of getting the story out there and in the hands of middle and high schoolers and that's a good thing, I suppose because it certainly offers a bigger view of the world (actually, a bigger view of the US) than is generally available in your standard middle class white suburb.
It feeds white guilt, while at the same time condemning white guilt, and that is a conundrum that is not easily solved. Maybe putting it into the hands of the next generation of Social Justice Warriors is the best we can do. Yes, I am aware that we don't need white saviors and that poc are perfectly capable of saving themselves, let's make sure Hollywood gets that message. Except in this case I don't think we're going to get anywhere unless white men start feeling a lot more guilt.
Not that Alexie doesn't have plenty of guilt to dish out for the Indians too.
Two scenes in this book that illustrated the heartache on each side of the coin for me were
the scene where Junior is instrumental in taking revenge on the rez basketball team (who have admittedly treated him like shit in the previous game) by beating them soundly and two thousand white people cheer him on. But before they are even done celebrating he realizes that zero of the kids on the other team will go to college, several have not eaten that day, almost all of them live with alcoholic parents, half of them get beaten up by those and none of them have a future.
And then on the other hand
after his sister dies because the trailer she lives in catches on fire while she is passed out drunk and Junior wants to flee the house because, as he says, he would gladly stay if everyone came over and told stories about his sister, but he can't stand it when everyone comes over and tells stories about his sister while getting as drunk as she was.
It feeds white guilt, while at the same time condemning white guilt, and that is a conundrum that is not easily solved. Maybe putting it into the hands of the next generation of Social Justice Warriors is the best we can do. Yes, I am aware that we don't need white saviors and that poc are perfectly capable of saving themselves, let's make sure Hollywood gets that message. Except in this case I don't think we're going to get anywhere unless white men start feeling a lot more guilt.
Not that Alexie doesn't have plenty of guilt to dish out for the Indians too.
Two scenes in this book that illustrated the heartache on each side of the coin for me were
Spoiler
the scene where Junior is instrumental in taking revenge on the rez basketball team (who have admittedly treated him like shit in the previous game) by beating them soundly and two thousand white people cheer him on. But before they are even done celebrating he realizes that zero of the kids on the other team will go to college, several have not eaten that day, almost all of them live with alcoholic parents, half of them get beaten up by those and none of them have a future.
And then on the other hand
Spoiler
after his sister dies because the trailer she lives in catches on fire while she is passed out drunk and Junior wants to flee the house because, as he says, he would gladly stay if everyone came over and told stories about his sister, but he can't stand it when everyone comes over and tells stories about his sister while getting as drunk as she was.
This book was pretty good. I enjoyed the humor and the subject matter of the book. Like many of the other Alexie books and stories I've read previous to this, his classical political statements are still seen woven into this story, but, as per usually, that are not offensive to the reader. His realistic look at the world that "rez Indians" are born into is a dismal existence, but is portrayed well to help the reader understand a new world to which they are usually not privy. For a young adult book, I appreciate the fact that Alexie didn't talk down to the target audience, or "mute" the subject matter he was addressing.
I would recommend this to most anyone. It was a pleasant, fun, and quick read.
I would recommend this to most anyone. It was a pleasant, fun, and quick read.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content
Minor: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury