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shangrila's review against another edition
3.0
-1 star because my library charged me $25 for this book when they forgot to scan it back in
blank_blank's review against another edition
2.75
good idea, important subject matter, possibly the worst execution possible for a writer
characters are litterally so one dimensional even if u root for them they are just so unreal idk
characters are litterally so one dimensional even if u root for them they are just so unreal idk
abigail_lo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
what a sad little book — my heart breaks for little sherman alexie <3 inevitably pulled at my heartstrings as i remembered just how devastating it is to experience real, life-changing grief as a child. there’s just nothing quite like having your world change forever when you’re only 14.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Excrement, Racism, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Grief, Medical content, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Cultural appropriation
Minor: Ableism and Drug use
ohwowanotherone's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.75
sunniedey's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
I absolutely love love this book! It made me laugh and cry.
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
3.0
A pivotal stepping stone in our modern conception of the reality of life for Native Americans. Colonialism and neo-colonialism have systematically dismantled much of their community and left them with little recourse or social structures to combat the destruction. I learned a lot about the practical reality of living on a reservation from reading this book. It will not cover the entirety of every Native Americans' experiences, but I believe it is a good introduction for anyone who is interested and not yet equipped for a nonfiction deep dive or looking to ease their way in.
The fact that this is semi-autobiographical does give it more weight though since Sherman Alexie is not merely constructing a story out of his life, he is communicating exactly what his life was like with a few tweaks.
That said, it became increasingly rote as time wore on. Not much happens and it seemed to rely a lot on shocking emotional turns to keep you invested rather than investing further in the characters. I know that these events occurred in his life, but since this is not a straightforward autobiography/memoir there are standards I hold a narrative to I felt the story was not meeting.
A lot of the humor and musings were dated. Junior drops the r-word a few times as he describes what people call or think of him. His girlfriend is bulimic and he sort of just doesn't care? It's not a big deal at all. Nobody ever finds out. She presumably does it in the background. He has no interest in her mental state only in how hot she is. While this is not an uncommon teenage mindset, it was not one I enjoyed reading nor did it make him likeable. Some of the intended demographic might find it relatable, however, I know for a fact I would have been disgusted even then. Lots of juvenile sexual jokes I found crude and almost vulgar.
On the one hand you can argue Alexie was being true to his point of view as a teenager and capturing a very realistic moment in time for all teenagers where they are not exactly the most politically correct or empathetic. On the other hand, the inclusion of said material to the extent that it was and the revelation that Sherman Alexie has multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him makes me think it might just be a reflection of who Sherman Alexie is as a person leaking out without any introspection.
I see why it's a classic objectively. On a personal level, I'm not afraid to say I don't care for it.
The fact that this is semi-autobiographical does give it more weight though since Sherman Alexie is not merely constructing a story out of his life, he is communicating exactly what his life was like with a few tweaks.
That said, it became increasingly rote as time wore on. Not much happens and it seemed to rely a lot on shocking emotional turns to keep you invested rather than investing further in the characters. I know that these events occurred in his life, but since this is not a straightforward autobiography/memoir there are standards I hold a narrative to I felt the story was not meeting.
A lot of the humor and musings were dated. Junior drops the r-word a few times as he describes what people call or think of him. His girlfriend is bulimic and he sort of just doesn't care? It's not a big deal at all. Nobody ever finds out. She presumably does it in the background. He has no interest in her mental state only in how hot she is. While this is not an uncommon teenage mindset, it was not one I enjoyed reading nor did it make him likeable. Some of the intended demographic might find it relatable, however, I know for a fact I would have been disgusted even then. Lots of juvenile sexual jokes I found crude and almost vulgar.
On the one hand you can argue Alexie was being true to his point of view as a teenager and capturing a very realistic moment in time for all teenagers where they are not exactly the most politically correct or empathetic. On the other hand, the inclusion of said material to the extent that it was and the revelation that Sherman Alexie has multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him makes me think it might just be a reflection of who Sherman Alexie is as a person leaking out without any introspection.
I see why it's a classic objectively. On a personal level, I'm not afraid to say I don't care for it.
schofield24's review against another edition
2.0
Okay, so I like to think that I have a bit of a "window" on Native American life, having grown up with (adopted) Sioux cousins. There was a lot to like about this story, and the voice seems authentic, but that being said I did not care to read about the teenage narrator's porn habit and can't really recommend the book for that reason. It does make me want to read more about modern Native American life, however. I do feel we need to hear their experiences and learn from them.
bandgeek3997's review against another edition
4.0
Young Adult fiction has always been something that baffles me. There are actually people my age that only read YA. There's never enough depth to most of them, and the books are usually written poorly without an original idea to be found in any of its pages. Yeah, sorry, but...
Occasionally, I'll pick up a YA book, though, to enjoy. They're usually light reads that can serve as a good distraction for a short period of time. [b:The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian|693208|The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian|Sherman Alexie|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327908992s/693208.jpg|829330] is one of the best ones that I've read in a while.
The best part about this book is the delightful writing that [a:Sherman Alexie|4174|Sherman Alexie|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1333515890p2/4174.jpg] uses throughout the story. I seriously laughed many times out loud before I could stop myself. Thank God, I never read it public. At the same time as making me giggle like a schoolgirl, the book also dealt with some tough issues very masterfully. I hate authors who make me want to laugh and cry at the same time, but darn it, I respect 'em.
I'm not Indian, of course, but I almost could relate to the life that was lived on the reservation. I'm from a very rural place in WV that is in a constant state of poverty. We're secluded, and many of our own people have succumbed to abusing alcohol, drugs, and welfare. There are many that never do get out of that cycle, and it makes me so sad.
The whole story hit home, and even though, it didn't take me long to read at all, gave me a great deal to think about.
Occasionally, I'll pick up a YA book, though, to enjoy. They're usually light reads that can serve as a good distraction for a short period of time. [b:The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian|693208|The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian|Sherman Alexie|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327908992s/693208.jpg|829330] is one of the best ones that I've read in a while.
The best part about this book is the delightful writing that [a:Sherman Alexie|4174|Sherman Alexie|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1333515890p2/4174.jpg] uses throughout the story. I seriously laughed many times out loud before I could stop myself. Thank God, I never read it public. At the same time as making me giggle like a schoolgirl, the book also dealt with some tough issues very masterfully. I hate authors who make me want to laugh and cry at the same time, but darn it, I respect 'em.
I'm not Indian, of course, but I almost could relate to the life that was lived on the reservation. I'm from a very rural place in WV that is in a constant state of poverty. We're secluded, and many of our own people have succumbed to abusing alcohol, drugs, and welfare. There are many that never do get out of that cycle, and it makes me so sad.
The whole story hit home, and even though, it didn't take me long to read at all, gave me a great deal to think about.
lisamchuk's review against another edition
4.0
Junior is a young cartoonist from the Spokane Indian Reservation. A bright, awkward, yet talented basketball player, he makes the monumental decision to leave the reservation to go to a nearby "white" high school. Add to all the usual teenage angst subjects the hardships of growing up on a reservation, and you've got Alexie's heartbreaking yet humourous journey through high school. The novel is semi-autobiographical, and feels like an insider's view into reservation life. Since Junior copes with his struggles by drawing comics, the text is punctuated with various comics and illustrations by artist Ellen Forney, which really add to the experience of reading the story.
It's weird to say this was an enjoyable book, because nothing really good happens to our poor hero. He's got health issues, is poor, gets bullied and beat up, fights with his best friend, and loses members of his family to the horrors of alcohol. I think it's the combo of the cartoons and the wit of the author that makes you care about and root for Junior. And in the end, he provides hope for himself, his family, and his tribe.
This is an excellent read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who reads YA (heck, maybe I should read more YA) or who wants to get behind the stereotypes and learn about what growing up on a reservation might be like.
So why was it banned? Apparently, there was some controversy about the depiction of sex and violence. It was banned by a school board in Missouri and a school in Wyoming in 2010, and a school board in Washington in 2011. Really, as if the harsh realities of real life are worse than the dystopian crap of The Hunger Games (actually, that's also a banned book, oops). Yes they talk about masturbation (good grief, they're teenage boys), and lots and lots of drinking, and someone gets shot but really, isn't that an episode of the Simpsons? Kids ought to read this book. Maybe they'd learn something and then they'd stop being so damn mean to each other. And adults should read this too, maybe it would cure racism.
[Read/reviewed prior to the sexual misconduct harm came to light.]
It's weird to say this was an enjoyable book, because nothing really good happens to our poor hero. He's got health issues, is poor, gets bullied and beat up, fights with his best friend, and loses members of his family to the horrors of alcohol. I think it's the combo of the cartoons and the wit of the author that makes you care about and root for Junior. And in the end, he provides hope for himself, his family, and his tribe.
This is an excellent read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who reads YA (heck, maybe I should read more YA) or who wants to get behind the stereotypes and learn about what growing up on a reservation might be like.
So why was it banned? Apparently, there was some controversy about the depiction of sex and violence. It was banned by a school board in Missouri and a school in Wyoming in 2010, and a school board in Washington in 2011. Really, as if the harsh realities of real life are worse than the dystopian crap of The Hunger Games (actually, that's also a banned book, oops). Yes they talk about masturbation (good grief, they're teenage boys), and lots and lots of drinking, and someone gets shot but really, isn't that an episode of the Simpsons? Kids ought to read this book. Maybe they'd learn something and then they'd stop being so damn mean to each other. And adults should read this too, maybe it would cure racism.
[Read/reviewed prior to the sexual misconduct harm came to light.]