Today’s book is one that was both hilarious and heartwarming with a rather nice side note of slightly heartbreaking as well. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie was an incredible read. It tells the story of Junior, a teenage boy on the Spokane Indian reservation as he deals with the trials and tribulations of being fourteen. Junior is a smart young man with a good eye for drawing and a tendency for rather witty observations of the world around him. He is smart, smarter than he thinks he is at times, and a pretty decent basketball player. However, he has to deal with his whole world changing when one of his teachers convinces him to go to school outside the reservation. This one decision changes Junior’s perception of himself and the world around him but also changes how he interacts with those around him. It also impacts his relationships with those around him, specifically his close family and friends on the reservation. However, he also discovers that him leaving the reservation, even for school, allows new opportunities for him to grow as a person.
I greatly enjoyed this book because it was such an honest depiction of a teenage boy that I couldn’t help but laugh at what Junior was saying. Reading this, I really felt like I was getting this intimate glimpse into his life and what he really thought of the world around him. Junior’s viewpoint was so unique but at the same time not unique in the least. It was unique because he was in somewhat unique circumstances, being an Indian that was going to school off the reservation, but not unique because he was dealing with many of the same issues that teenagers everywhere deal with. Things like trying to fit in and make friends while trying to understand the new rules associated with where he is going to school. This last one actually gets Junior into trouble when he first starts out. However, there were also things like dealing with liking a girl and the fallout of his decision to leave the reservation on his friendship with his best friend. I will say that Junior did handle things to the best of his ability even when heavily confused about what was going on around him. Going back to what I said earlier though, the book was hilarious because it was narrated by a teenage boy and their viewpoint and perspective on things is rather entertaining at times as it easily flips from juvenile humor to absolute seriousness to completely freaking out about the smallest things. However, it was also heartwarming as it also was a story about a teenage boy who decides he will do whatever is necessary to help him improve his situation, even if that means walking an average of twenty miles to his new school if he can’t get a ride. On the flip side it was also heartbreaking as it shows an honest and rather painful description of what life was like on an Indian reservation. Specifically, in regards to the extreme poverty levels and levels of alcoholism and violence that were present. Sherman Alexie skillfully wove all of these elements and even more together to create an incredibly compelling story that I genuinely enjoyed reading and would highly consider reading again. As such I am giving it four out of five stars.
I’ve read a lot of books about teenage boys but there are incredibly few that felt so open and honest as this one. As such, it is definitely a book that I would suggest every teenage boy should consider reading. I am not entirely sure how well it would appeal to teenage girls but they should consider reading it as well to help broaden their viewpoint. It does deal with the typical experiences and somewhat juvenile humor of teenage boys so it may not be appropriate for younger readers though. As for adults, if you are looking for a somewhat heartwarming story you should consider it. Or consider reading it alongside a teenager that you know and have a shared discussion about it afterwards. I know I like doing that with people I know. As always feel free to share your thoughts about this book, if you have read it or decide to read it in the future.