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thisgeminireads 's review for:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
I haven’t read YA in a while so I wasn’t sure how I was going to get along with the story but I really enjoyed it.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a first-person POV story told by 14-year-old Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, a member of the Spokane Indian Tribe. Arnold has grown up living on a reservation and is determined to get a good education so he leaves to attend Rearden, an all-white high school. The people on the Rez think he’s a traitor, and his new classmates aren’t very welcoming either as they bully him and make racist comments.
This is an underdog story filled with grief, determination, resilience, hope, racism, and identity. Junior faces immense challenges, from the sting of being labeled a traitor by his community to navigating a hostile new school environment while also grappling with significant health issues and an unstable home life. It truly felt like he couldn’t catch a break!
I think it’s incredibly relatable as it’s a coming-of-age story—starting a new school, friendship dynamics changing, meeting new friends, bullying, familial loss and love, and difficulties at home.
It was moving but also funny. Junior has a great personality, and his lighthearted approach at times to difficult situations was nice to read, and the ending was bittersweet.
If you’re someone who doesn’t usually gravitate toward young adult novels, I would still recommend picking this up. It would be a perfect read for Banned Books Week later in the year!