Hoping to Get Out of There

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Why did I read it?

I'm really enjoying my Young Adult Literature class. Even though its a lot of reading, its forcing me to read some fantastic books that have been on my radar, but I might not have read.

What happened?

It all started when Junior threw a dilapidated textbook at his math teacher's head. His teacher could have been furious, but instead, he was truthful. "Junior," he said, "unless you get off of the rez, you are going to wind up like every other Indian here; drunk, hopeless, and going nowhere. But, if you get out of here, you could be someone." Sizing up his situation on the reservation and finding it pretty accurate, Junior decides to do the crazy, hopeful, insane thing and go to Readan. Now, he would be the only Indian at the school, his friends on the rez would hate him, and no one like him had done anything like it before. But, Junior was committed to seeing things change, and change they do.

What did I like or not like?

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an amzing story that sucks you in from the first page with its honesty, normality, and truthfulness. Mixed throughout the novel are short comics, drawn from Junior's perspective, that enhance the experience. Junior deals with grief, rejection, bullies, poverty, friendships, navigating relationships, being caught in-between two worlds, and dealing with his family. But, through it all, Junior finds hope in what he has, pushes toward a better future, and encourages the underdog in all of us.

P.S. This novel does contain some language and characters talking about sexual and crude topics.