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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed reading this book. It had been recommended numerous times, but I finally had the opportunity to read it, and I ended up devouring it in pretty much one sitting. Bitingly funny and painfully sad in equal measure, but triumphant at the end - and not ultimately due to success, but due to attitude, perseverance, and hope. A very specific story that uncovers universal experiences I think we can probably all relate to in one way or another. Highly recommended.
I enjoyed reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I am a very fast reader and was able to finish this book very quickly. The author starts out the novel by explaining Arnold/Junior’s medical background that was discovered when he was born. He had a condition in which he had excess water in his brain. The disease can manifest physically and mentally. Arnold/Junior was called Junior on the reservation and Arnold when he was transferred to Rearden. He was able to transfer to an all-white school off of the Indian Reservation because he had really great grades.
The part that really drew me in was when Arnold discovered that he had obtained the same textbook that his mother had used when she was his age in the same school. He was so angry that he picked up his book and threw it across the classroom, hitting his teacher in the face. The teacher is a white male who lives on the reservation right behind the school. He feels bad for Arnold when he was suspended and goes to his house, crying, giving him a recommendation to transfer to the better school that was off of the reservation.
Arnold faced a lot of tragedy throughout the course of the novel. His best friend ignored him, his sister got married and moved out of state, his parents are alcoholics who could not sober up enough for Christmas, and his grandmother and his sister died. Despite all of this, he managed to persevere and win the basketball championship and talk to Rowdy, his best friend, again by the end. It is a very quick read and the pictures integrated very nicely with the text.
The part that really drew me in was when Arnold discovered that he had obtained the same textbook that his mother had used when she was his age in the same school. He was so angry that he picked up his book and threw it across the classroom, hitting his teacher in the face. The teacher is a white male who lives on the reservation right behind the school. He feels bad for Arnold when he was suspended and goes to his house, crying, giving him a recommendation to transfer to the better school that was off of the reservation.
Arnold faced a lot of tragedy throughout the course of the novel. His best friend ignored him, his sister got married and moved out of state, his parents are alcoholics who could not sober up enough for Christmas, and his grandmother and his sister died. Despite all of this, he managed to persevere and win the basketball championship and talk to Rowdy, his best friend, again by the end. It is a very quick read and the pictures integrated very nicely with the text.
fast-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a funny and heartbreaking book. I enjoyed it, but it certainly wasn’t easy to read it and not feel tremendous empathy.
Now I've actually started reading it, I expected to like it as I"m just short of a sherman alexie groupie, and I'm not disappointed.
Made me cry....
Made me cry....
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars
Lots of 'almost-cry' moments for me in this one.
Lots of 'almost-cry' moments for me in this one.
read this for a source for a school project but I really enjoyed it surprisingly as I mainly read romance and dark romance
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Probably my favorite book of all time. Junior is an extremely relatable character, and I really wish this book was longer to hear more of his story. I feel seen by this book. I could not recommend it more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide attempt
Minor: Genocide