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A review by betweentheshelves
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.0
I haven't read this since I read it for one of my college classes almost 10 years ago (what??). Definitely a character driven story, one that still isn't really told in YA literature. Junior definitely has the voice of a 14 year old boy, and this novel isn't afraid to shy away from the difficult issues.
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Junior is a 14 year old boy living on the Spokane Indian reservation. Because he has had brain issues since he was a little boy, he has been made fun of on the reservation for almost his entire life. On the recommendation of one of his teachers, he decides to go to the all white public high school located just off of the reservation, because he wants to get a better education. The book chronicles his first year of high school, and because he is a cartoonist, is told through illustrations and words.
This is a book that has been on my to-read list for a while, ever since one of my librarians from high school read it and highly recommended it to me. I would say that I had pretty high expectations going into the book, and in finishing it, my expectations were met. My favorite aspect of the book was Junior's voice. To me, it was very authentic; it definitely seemed like a teenager was telling the story. The illustrations also enhanced my reading experience. It helped to give a better picture of the characters and what was going on in the novel, and also enhanced the humor aspect of the story. The illustrations also make the novel a quick read. There wasn't really anything that I could find that turned me away from the novel.
From a teacher's perspective, this book would definitely be good for early high school boys, because it is a hybrid novel, and Junior deals with issues that a lot of boys entering high schools deal with. Since this book does deal with a lot of controversial issues, like alcoholism, masturbation, poverty, and bullying, censorship is an issue with this book, and teacher's should be wary of that if it is to be used in the classroom. That being said, I think pairing this book with a unit on American Indians in the classroom would work very well, especially since a lot of students don't know what it really is like to be an American Indian.
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Junior is a 14 year old boy living on the Spokane Indian reservation. Because he has had brain issues since he was a little boy, he has been made fun of on the reservation for almost his entire life. On the recommendation of one of his teachers, he decides to go to the all white public high school located just off of the reservation, because he wants to get a better education. The book chronicles his first year of high school, and because he is a cartoonist, is told through illustrations and words.
This is a book that has been on my to-read list for a while, ever since one of my librarians from high school read it and highly recommended it to me. I would say that I had pretty high expectations going into the book, and in finishing it, my expectations were met. My favorite aspect of the book was Junior's voice. To me, it was very authentic; it definitely seemed like a teenager was telling the story. The illustrations also enhanced my reading experience. It helped to give a better picture of the characters and what was going on in the novel, and also enhanced the humor aspect of the story. The illustrations also make the novel a quick read. There wasn't really anything that I could find that turned me away from the novel.
From a teacher's perspective, this book would definitely be good for early high school boys, because it is a hybrid novel, and Junior deals with issues that a lot of boys entering high schools deal with. Since this book does deal with a lot of controversial issues, like alcoholism, masturbation, poverty, and bullying, censorship is an issue with this book, and teacher's should be wary of that if it is to be used in the classroom. That being said, I think pairing this book with a unit on American Indians in the classroom would work very well, especially since a lot of students don't know what it really is like to be an American Indian.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, and Homophobia
Minor: Bullying, Vomit, and Animal death