Review (Randi): The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

As Becky noted in her Sunday Post, I have been very absent around the blog this week! I spent the week trying to catch up on homework since the husband and I were in Chicago for a four-day weekend last weekend for our second wedding anniversary. And then on Tuesday, I found out President Obama would be visiting my university! So I had to get a ticket. Even if you disagree with a standing president's policies...how many times do you get the chance to see a standing president speak in person?! I was stoked. And a couple people *cough*Becky*cough* were a little jealous...so I've included two pics for your viewing pleasure! (Both pictures were taken by my friend Rachel, who attended the event with me. And we stood outside for a total of 6 hours, during part of which it rained on us!) That's Mr. President on the left, of course, and me (GO HAWKEYES!) on the right in front of the flag.



**Note: I reread this book, this time reading it for one of my grad school courses (a class on reading and teaching YA). This is an edited version of the dialogue journal I wrote for that class, so it includes more on this book in reference to teaching than is usually part of my reviews**

Title: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Author: Sherman Alexie
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 12th, 2007
Page Count: 230
Genre: contemporary realism
Audience: older middle-grade/young adult
Source: bought
Rating: 4 I'd take this book for coffee, but only if we could get bagels, too.

Goodreads Summary: In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this book, but I did see some flaws this time around. I appreciate Alexie’s inclusion and candidness of the discrimination that Junior (and Native Americans in general) experiences without being preachy or overly didactic. 

 I feel like this could be a great teaching text if taught in the right way. The excess swearing bothered me a little bit, mostly because I plan on teaching middle school and feel like the language is perhaps a bit overdone for that age level. Then again, I guess that’s one of my concerns with most books – I’m not sure how to approach non-classics that may have “questionable” material. While I oppose censorship of any kind, I’m never sure what is “age appropriate” for middle school versus high school. 

 The way Alexie explores the issues of racism and identity are not subtle, but from the little I know of Native American culture, they seem startlingly and depressingly accurate. For example, Junior’s description of Reardan captures the essence of the white town very well when paired with his initial experiences there: “And it’s a hick town, I suppose, filled with farmers and rednecks and racist cops who stop every Indian that drives through” (p. 45-46). The way that discrimination and alcoholism are heartbreaking aspects of rez life rather than “lessons” that need to be taught to the reader makes Junior’s story seem vivid and realistic: “Reardan was the opposite of the rez. It was the opposite of my family. It was the opposite of me. I didn’t deserve to be there. I knew it; all of those kids knew it. Indians don’t deserve shit” (p. 56). 

I found myself cheering for Junior; I wanted him to make friends at Reardan, to make up with Rowdy, to find ways to cope with his grief, and that’s always a good sign for me when I’m reading. I think students would connect with his story as well, especially with the drawings which makes the story more interesting and might also be helpful for reluctant readers. Though I couldn’t relate to his life experiences, moments like Junior’s Christmas resonated with me due to that feeling of wanting to protect our loved ones even when they disappoint us: “He could have spent that five bucks and stayed drunk for another day or two. But he saved it for me…It was a beautiful and ugly thing” (p. 151). Junior’s journey away from the rez and toward his future seems especially remarkable because he isn’t set up as a golden boy, as a character who is “too good for” his surroundings, which allowed me to empathize with him more. 

 Most of my complaints revolve around the characterization of basically all characters excepting Junior and Rowdy. I thought most of the characters were underdeveloped, but I don't want to really go into that and risk spoilers. So I'll stop there! Overall, I see this as a solid text that I would definitely consider using as part of a study on other cultures, racism/discrimination, identity and/or bullying.

FTC Disclaimer: All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.