Hello Readers! So, I bring you again, today, another review of a must-read book. Honestly, if you haven't read this book, where have you been? Sherman Alexie--poet, novelist, activist, hysterical--gave us THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN in 2007 and broke up open more than a few taboo subjects. Partly autobiographical (and if you ask him, he'll say "which means it's all autobiographical") this book is funny, poignant, maddening, and brilliant.


All the more so since we know that many of the experiences are from Alexie's own path in childhood and what led him to writing. 

THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN follows Junior as he lives on the rez in Spokane, WA. Life is predictable but hard with his volatile best friend, his absent but loving parents, his smart-assedness in school, and the casual but pernicious marginalization of him and the rest of the Native American students by the faculty and the system as a whole. No one expects anyone to go anywhere in the school--and in fact, doing so becomes an act of betrayal to the rest of his friends. 

However, Junior has talent. Junior is smart. And Junior has ambition. So at the urging of his almost-but-not-quite burnt out teacher, Junior decides to go to the all-white school a town away where he is the only Native American. Unless you count the racist mascot. His impossible choice alienates him from his friend and his family and thrusts him into a completely different, hostile educational landscape.

Filled with illustrations and humor, we feel for Junior every step of the way. He is funny but not sappy, observant but not overly sentimental, but most of all, he is a survivor. Even with a life-threatening brain injury when he was born and the odds stacked against him, Junior finds a way to get out of a proscribed oppression and find his way into his own.

Reading this book absolutely blew me away. Alexie doesn't shy away from harsh truths and cringe-worthy moments. He also does not caricaturize any of his characters, giving Junior a wise and believable window on the world. The book was banned in places because some of the actions were "too harsh." But honestly, what is YA lit for if not to illuminate truths? Alexie does that and more in this book, giving non-Native Americans (and Native Americans not on a reservation) an insight into that world with all its nuance, heartbreak, loyalty, and joy. 

Many schools have adopted this book as part of the curriculum, but if you weren't one of the lucky who got to read this with a class, now is your time to pick it up. This is a classic and a foundational book in the whole of the YA canon. 

As always, thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you drop by soon and in the mean time, of course, as always: Read on, Readers!