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A review by agenericmirkwoodelf
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
3.5
3.5 round up! Important story, a few icks!
I think this is a book that needs to exist. It’s a powerful story with a lot of charm and wit, yet it remains incredibly grounded throughout. It says a lot of things that need to be said, and being semi-autobiographical, every character feels real.
That said, I do think it handles some issue poorly. Obviously, being autobiographical as it is, the author is free to discuss the protagonist’s issues however he likes. However, I felt like some of the other issues in the book were handled pretty poorly- particularly surrounding the character Penelope. I understand the POV character is an unabashedly thirsty teenage boy, and the narrative style is allowed to reflect that, but it felt absolutely wrong to read about-
[Spoilers + TW]
I think this is a book that needs to exist. It’s a powerful story with a lot of charm and wit, yet it remains incredibly grounded throughout. It says a lot of things that need to be said, and being semi-autobiographical, every character feels real.
That said, I do think it handles some issue poorly. Obviously, being autobiographical as it is, the author is free to discuss the protagonist’s issues however he likes. However, I felt like some of the other issues in the book were handled pretty poorly- particularly surrounding the character Penelope. I understand the POV character is an unabashedly thirsty teenage boy, and the narrative style is allowed to reflect that, but it felt absolutely wrong to read about-
[Spoilers + TW]
- how “incredibly sexy” this character was immediately after learning she struggled with ED.
That’s just my take, though! :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Bullying, Homophobia, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Classism, and Racism
Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Car accident