Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

27 reviews

jonwood's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Read this for an online teaching course. 

The book is a brutally honest look at the life of a kid in a community that is victim of unfair circumstance. His family and neighbors seem trapped in an perpetual self-destructive cycle of alcohol and gambling. It's a depressing reality that many children find them selves stuck in. Even when the protagonist gets to go to a better school, it's revealed a lot of the well to do people have their own problems, which just you shouldn't judge anyone without knowing their story. Deaths and acts of violence are sudden and reflect the pointlessness of it in real life.

In all, I think is a rather reflection and frank discussion on the harsh reality many kids face and a good way for those unaware to that life to become more aware. I suppose the reason I didn't love the book is that the author seems to do a good job capturing the juvenile/bathroom/homophobic humor that reminds too much of the boys would attempt to avoid as an adolescent, and I don't want to spend too much time around people who talk like that. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Medical content, and Racial slurs

Minor: Gun violence, Racism, Eating disorder, Sexism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, and Car accident

directorpurry's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Drug abuse, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Suicide, and Body shaming

Minor: Colonisation

emdear's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Murder, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Grief, Death, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Cultural appropriation, and Gun violence

taliatalksbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by the one and only Sherman Alexie was a quick, one day read. When I picked this up, I didn’t expect to fly through it, but the comedic/casual tone for such serious topics really drew me in and propelled me forward. Though it’s not a long book, I think it handles really important and intricate topics through the lens’s of a child trying to better himself. Though some moments can be a little harsh, I think this is a great read for young adults, especially those who have limited to no knowledge about the issues that can plague life on native reservations, including poverty and addiction. Overall, I really enjoyed this read, and I think you will, too, despite the language being a bit dated. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Addiction

elia_elizabeth_'s review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Racism, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, Vomit, Bullying, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Alcoholism

gays0up's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful informative 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Racism, Violence, Alcoholism, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Cursing, Homophobia, and Vomit

Minor: Animal death

jamiejanae_6's review against another edition

funny hopeful 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? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, Child abuse, Vomit, Alcoholism, Bullying, Grief, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Gun violence

Minor: Colonisation, Murder, and Eating disorder

vivthereader's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny fast-paced

cried x3

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Toxic friendship, Racism, Racial slurs, and Animal death

Minor: Addiction, Car accident, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Murder, Suicide, and Vomit

michaelion's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

3.25

I started and finished this book in 6 hours. Now why did it take us like 2 weeks to read it in high school? That's how you know high school is an evil place! Insufferable institution!

Great book, though. I'm glad I reread it.

But I had to take away points for use of the n word. Like damn even if it's not from our main character, it's very disappointing the author wrote that in.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Ableism, Death, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Medical content, Grief, Homophobia, Child death, Addiction, Racism, Xenophobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Genocide, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Death of parent, and Alcoholism

Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Eating disorder

eyesofthewhirled's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Death