The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

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Overview

The book that launched Sherman Alexie onto the YA market is now available in a deluxe collector's edition! Beautifully designed with a gifty new look that includes a foil-stamped, die-cut slipcase and 4-color interior art, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike.

In his nationally acclaimed, semi-autobiographical YA debut, author Sherman Alexie tells the heartbreaking, hilarious, and beautifully written story of a young Native American teen as he attempts to break free from the life he was destined to live.

Winner of the 2007 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

With his first foray into teen literature, acclaimed author Sherman Alexie packs a punch in this absorbing novel about a Native American boy searching for a brighter future. At once humorous and stirring, Alexie's novel follows Junior, a resident of the Spokane reservation who transfers out of the reservation's school -- and into a nearby rich, all-white farm school -- in order to nurture his desire to become a cartoonist. Junior encounters resistance there, a backlash at home, and numerous family problems -- all the while relaying his thoughts and feelings via amusing descriptions and drawings. Having already garnered a National Book Award for Young Adult Literature, this moving look at race and growing up is definitely one to oick up.

Bruce Barcott

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is Alexie's first foray into the young adult genre, and it took him only one book to master the form. Recently nominated for a National Book Award, this is a gem of a book. I keep flipping back to re-read the best scenes and linger over Ellen Forney's cartoons…For 15 years now, Sherman Alexie has explored the struggle to survive between the grinding plates of the Indian and white worlds. He's done it through various characters and genres, but The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian may be his best work yet. Working in the voice of a 14-year-old forces Alexie to strip everything down to action and emotion, so that reading becomes more like listening to your smart, funny best friend recount his day while waiting after school for a ride home.
—The New York Times

More Reviews (13) Fewer Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Screenwriter, novelist and poet, Alexie bounds into YA with what might be a Native American equivalent of Angela's Ashes,a coming-of-age story so well observed that its very rootedness in one specific culture is also what lends it universality, and so emotionally honest that the humor almost always proves painful. Presented as the diary of hydrocephalic 14-year-old cartoonist and Spokane Indian Arnold Spirit Jr., the novel revolves around Junior's desperate hope of escaping the reservation. As he says of his drawings, "I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats." He transfers to a public school 22 miles away in a rich farm town where the only other Indian is the team mascot. Although his parents support his decision, everyone else on the rez sees him as a traitor, an apple ("red on the outside and white on the inside"), while at school most teachers and students project stereotypes onto him: "I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other." Readers begin to understand Junior's determination as, over the course of the school year, alcoholism and self-destructive behaviors lead to the deaths of close relatives. Unlike protagonists in many YA novels who reclaim or retain ethnic ties in order to find their true selves, Junior must separate from his tribe in order to preserve his identity. Jazzy syntax and Forney's witty cartoons examining Indian versus White attire and behavior transmute despair into dark humor; Alexie's no-holds-barred jokes have the effect of throwing the seriousness of his themes into high relief. Ages 14-up. (Sept.)

VOYA

This book would really appeal to high school and junior high boys for casual and interesting reading. People who are interested in reservation life would find that this book gives a wonderful insight to Native American culture. Alexie makes a good storyteller. The pictures in the book give great detail to the story and writing. Within the story, there are two worlds that a boy must distinguish between and live in.

VOYA

Nerdy, fourteen-year-old Arnold Spirit lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington state. During his first day at high school, Arnold discovers that his geometry textbook is so old that his mother used it in school. In anger, he throws the book at his teacher and is suspended. Recognizing Arnold's potential, his teacher suggests that Arnold transfer to a school off the reservation. There Arnold attempts to bridge Indian and white cultures-sometimes successfully and sometimes not-while at home, he faces the controversy of leaving the reservation and his own culture. The tension reaches a peak when Arnold returns to his former school for a basketball game as the star player on his new school's team. Alexie's portrayal of reservation life, with the help of a great lineup of supporting characters, is realistic and fantastical and funny and tragic-all at the same time. The story is engaging, but readers will also gain insight into American Indian culture and politics as well as a sense for human nature and the complexities of living in a diverse society. Cartoonist Forney's drawings, appearing throughout the book, enhance the story and could nearly stand alone. It is clear that she and Alexie worked closely together on this project. Recreational readers, especially boys, will enjoy this book, but teachers will also find it filled with lots of material to rouse a good classroom discussion. This first young adult novel by the acclaimed Indian writer whose adult fiction is used in many high school classrooms is based on Alexie's own memoir.

School Library Journal

Gr 7-10
Exploring Indian identity, both self and tribal, Alexie's first young adult novel is a semiautobiographical chronicle of Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, a Spokane Indian from Wellpinit, WA. The bright 14-year-old was born with water on the brain, is regularly the target of bullies, and loves to draw. He says, "I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats." He expects disaster when he transfers from the reservation school to the rich, white school in Reardan, but soon finds himself making friends with both geeky and popular students and starting on the basketball team. Meeting his old classmates on the court, Junior grapples with questions about what constitutes one's community, identity, and tribe. The daily struggles of reservation life and the tragic deaths of the protagonist's grandmother, dog, and older sister would be all but unbearable without the humor and resilience of spirit with which Junior faces the world. The many characters, on and off the rez, with whom he has dealings are portrayed with compassion and verve, particularly the adults in his extended family. Forney's simple pencil cartoons fit perfectly within the story and reflect the burgeoning artist within Junior. Reluctant readers can even skim the pictures and construct their own story based exclusively on Forney's illustrations. The teen's determination to both improve himself and overcome poverty, despite the handicaps of birth, circumstances, and race, delivers a positive message in a low-key manner. Alexie's tale of self-discovery is a first purchase for all libraries.
—Chris ShoemakerCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Alexie nimbly blends sharp wit with unapologetic emotion in his first foray into young-adult literature. Fourteen-year-old Junior is a cartoonist and bookworm with a violent but protective best friend Rowdy. Soon after they start freshman year, Junior boldly transfers from a school on the Spokane reservation to one in a tiny white town 22 miles away. Despite his parents' frequent lack of gas money (they're a "poor-ass family"), racism at school and many crushing deaths at home, he manages the year. Rowdy rejects him, feeling betrayed, and their competing basketball teams take on mammoth symbolic proportions. The reservation's poverty and desolate alcoholism offer early mortality and broken dreams, but Junior's knowledge that he must leave is rooted in love and respect for his family and the Spokane tribe. He also realizes how many other tribes he has, from "the tribe of boys who really miss . . . their best friends" to "the tribe of tortilla chips-and-salsa lovers." Junior's keen cartoons sprinkle the pages as his fluid narration deftly mingles raw feeling with funny, sardonic insight. (Fiction. YA)

Booklist

"Alexie's humor and prose are easygoing and well suited to his young audience."

BookPage

"Deftly taps into the human desire to stand out while fitting in."

Los Angeles Times

"Few writers are more masterful than Sherman Alexie."

Miami Herald

"Exceptionally good....Arnold is a wonderful character."

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"[Alexie] has created an endearing teen protagonist in his own likeness and placed him in the here and now."

New York Times

"This is a gem of a book....may be [Sherman Alexie's] best work yet."

Newsday

"Fierce observations and sharp sense of humor...hilarious language."

USA Today

"Sure to resonate and lift spirits of all ages for years to come."

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780316013680
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: 9/12/2007
Pages: 240
Sales rank: 121,115
Age range: 12 - 18 Years
Lexile: 600L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 5.87 (w) x 8.50 (h) x 0.87 (d)

Meet the Author

Sherman Alexie

A National Book Award-winning author, poet, and filmmaker, Sherman has been named one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists and has been lauded by The Boston Globe as "an important voice in American literature." He is one of the most well known and beloved literary writers of his generation, with works such as The Long Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Resevoir Blues and has received numerous awards and citations, including the PEN/Malamud Award for Fiction and the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Award.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5

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TeensReadToo

Posted October 25, 2008

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Reviewed by Cat for TeensReadToo.com

I'll admit -- I put off reading THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN for well over a year, in favor of more "exciting" books. Boy, what a mistake I made!

Told from the perspective of thirteen-year-old Arnold Spirit, an intelligent, observant, sarcastic Indian born with encephalitis and a love of cartooning, Sherman Alexie takes us along with him as he moves away from a circumscribed, oppressive life on the Spokane reservation towards a more promising future by attending an all-white school thirty miles away.

Never one to get bogged down in sentiment or self-pity, Mr. Alexie refuses to present Arnold's friends and family as one-dimensional stereotypes, nor is the world beyond "rez" borders portrayed as the Great White Hope. Arnold's family has problems, to be sure: an alcoholic father, an enabling, codependent mother; a near shut-in older sister. But their love for each other is evident through their words and actions. And despite the ostracism and ridicule heaped upon him by former friends and other tribe members, Arnold reacts with biting wit rather than total despair.

This has to be one of the best books I've ever read in my life, so I hope everyone gives it a try.

14 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
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R_Brandt

Posted October 4, 2009

Inappropriate for Children of All Ages

When the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie was brought up in a curriculum committee meeting as recommend reading material for 10th graders I decided to proof read the book. To my surprise the book is full of swears, crude language, blaspheme, and filthy references.

If you like South Park humor than this is the book for you. Most of the funny situations only make you laugh because of a carefully placed swear word or racial slur. I understand teens are going to hear or use these words but even if it is a learned behavior it should NOT be a taught behavior. There are thousands of young adult books available that have to be better for your children than this one.

Barnes & Noble's filters won't even allow me to post a censored version of the books content but you can see a list of the vulgar words at amazon dot com. (The f-word a-word s-word and all sorts of other words that the FCC won't even allow on broadcast television.

12 out of 43 people found this review helpful.
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mwallslawson

Posted October 25, 2009

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Quick Read for Kids who Hate Reading

I've been plugging this to my tenth grade students like crazy, and there is a waiting list at the school library because of it. Alexi's book is realistic, and the often-absurd illustrations will draw any reluctant reader in. Junior's cataloging of his own faults is so in line with how many students seem to see themselves for a time, at least, and his desperate attempts to figure out where he fits in are easy to identify with.
Depending on the reader, the opening chapter will either draw a reader in instantly or repel them. I think in most cases, it will make Junior more appealing. He lays all of his faults out right away, much as the way teens see themselves. And, like teens, it takes quite a long time for Junior to discover his own strengths. However, the strongest aspect of the work is Alexi's delicate balance between tragedy and comedy. The funniest moments are offered levity by reality, and even the most desperately sad pages have a comic that offers a unique perspective.
If you're someone who believes that teens need to be "protected" from the world; you'll hate it. If you realize that experiences gained from reading are as valuable as those coming to students, it's easy to recommend this one widely.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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dyingforEdward

Posted March 4, 2009

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I got to meet him!!

He was AMAZING!!!! He came to my town today and I got his autograph, he was so funny!!! The book is based on 72% of his real life NO JOKE!!! You have to read the book it is absolutly AMAZING!! you will love it!!!

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted April 29, 2009

From Red to Brown...

As an ignorant high schooler I was instructed to read a book. Little did I know I would read a book full of hard truth. While still a hilarious book, it showed how life on an outdated Native American Reservation can be. It showed Alcohol as a main proponent of the deaths in the book. I would recommend this to anybody who needs a splash of reality in their face.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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BriannaLaurenCagan

Posted June 6, 2011

I recommend you read this- check it out!

This book had one interesting story plot to it! From having problems in the head from when he was born, to having a best friend that beats everyone up, and to even him having "special time" with himself! Very interesting , if I may say so myself! This book is not just interesting, but very good and life like. It's very life like because the things Arnold encounters during his life long situation,are things and events you and I encounter all the time, and almost everyday!
The book "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian", is definately a good book for young readers. But the thing is those young readers, have to be mature young readers! We don't want to see you say "ew", or "ha ha", when something that Arnold says, or his mother or father is'nt really the most normal thing you would here in a book. That's just really immature.If you do, do that then you should try and think next time that , "should I really say what I am about to say?". That would really help you in the future!
Now that this book has taught some life long lessons, some good lessons, and some lessons on how to treat and love your family, it has turned out to be a really great book. I loved this book because the story plot is about living the tennage life. When reading it as a teenager, about teenagers you can really reflect upon what you are reading. Just like Arnold was talking about , girls he likes and has liked in the past, fights, and family issues. That I think we can all reflect upon! Well , if you like suspense, emotional times, friends that become enemies, fights, love stories, deaths, and much, much more , you sould definately check out this book! I mean it does have everything you can ask for. Some things in this book are very, absolutely, truly, interesting!!!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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xmarykatex83

Posted September 12, 2009

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Fantastic and Funny Book!

THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN is one of my new favorite books. I absolutely loved reading it. It was so good I didn't want to put it down! Alexie's writing is very humorous and he actually sounds like a teenager. The main character, Arnold Spirit, is very relatable to readers. I really liked this book because he was going through problems like going to a new school which I was getting ready to face too. The book also showed me a different way of life like when Arnold would have to walk 30 miles home from school on some days. I couldn't imagine doing that! Another reason why I really liked this book was because Arnold drew funny comics that depicted some hilarious things and some tragic things in his life, but drawing was how he coped with it. This book was fun and it kept me laughing from beginning to end.
THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie is a fantastic young adult novel about a teenage boy named Arnold Spirit who was born with some medical problems and gets picked on for this and who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation. When he decides to leave the reservation and go to the white high school he is even more fiercely shunned and picked on. At the white high school he goes through all the normal teenage problems like having to meet people and make friends, drifting away from old friends, and trying to fit in at school. While he is trying to adjust to this new life he goes through hard times like having an alcoholic father and multiple deaths in the family. Arnold doesn't let this get him down though and he moves on knowing that someday if he keeps persevering and dreaming then life will be better.
The message of the story was to never give up no matter how many bad things happen to you. Arnold is a wonderful role model for teenagers. This book is a "must-read" for teens. It is one of the best books I've ever read! It definitely deserves five stars. I recommend that if you're looking for a fun, humorous, easy book to read, than you should definitely read THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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bookluvinprof

Posted August 22, 2009

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Fantastic: funny, moving, and thoughtful

I've been researching YA novels for teaching a college-level class on the subject. This is by far the best recent one I've read. Arnold Spirit is an unforgettable character: brave, funny, smart, and capable of overcoming great odds. But he is also very real--and someone who I think a lot of kids can identify with. Nothing in this book is easy. Arnold faces adverse circumstances on the 'rez': poverty, alcoholism, and violence, to name a few. But all the characters are interesting, and there are no 'black hat' villains. Arnold sees good in everyone: his alcoholic parents, his depressed sister, his weird-looking teacher, his unpredictable friend Rowdy, and the white kids at the white school he insists on attending--the beautiful blonde cheerleader with bulimia, the class nerd with a passion for learning, and the arrogant basketball star who turns out to be generous and thougtful. I absolutely, wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone--teen or adult. The illustrations represent Arnold's talent for cartooning, and his cartoons are extremely thought-provoking and would be great for class discussion.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonemous1

Posted December 1, 2010

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a must-read!

Junior is the center of all the bullying that goes on at the Spokane Reservation. They call him water head because he was born with too much brain fluid. There is seemingly no hope for him. His family is pore. But there is one thing he does have; he's smart. So Junior decides to go to the white school from Reardon. There he faces a whole new set of troubles. But he has the one thing that no other Indian has; a bright future. This story is filled with drama and great character development. You feel like you're right beside Junior facing bullies and playing his best friend Rowdy in basketball to the death. I would recommend it to anyone twelve and over. It's a four-star book in my opinion and a great read!

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Cameron_Streich

Posted November 6, 2010

Very good book- worth your time!

This book was about how an Indian on the rez changes his life around starting by transferring to a new school. But life becomes much harder when the white people ignore him and the Indians despise him for being a traitor. But when he earns the respect of the other basketball players and he leads them to the play offs beating his old teammates, he finds that he may have a chance after all. A major theme in this book was to never give up. Even though Arnold had to go through so many hardships he never loses sight of his dreams to make it to the outside world. I really liked the pictures that provide a funnier side in all the seriousness. Also the jokes were timed well, so they gave off an awkward joke that you feel weird laughing at. One thing I didn't like was there were a few too many pictures, and some of them seemed unnecessary. Although this book is somewhat inappropriate for kids that are younger, I would still recommend it to anyone who is at least 13 years old. It is a great book to read regardless of boy or girl. I would also recommend this to anyone who likes funny books but also a more serious reader would enjoy it too. Overall I would say that this is the perfect for the average reader.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Angieville

Posted January 16, 2009

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Angieville: THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN

I'm so glad I finally got around to this one. The laughs were much needed. Of course, there were bouts of tears to go along with those laughs, so it probably evened out in the end. But that is the mark of the best kind of story. It made me feel genuine emotion, and not all one kind, so I feel fulfilled and stretched out, rather than left wondering if I'll ever be able to crawl my way up out of the hole.

Junior's life is unenviable. And that is putting it mildly. He lives on the Indian reservation in Wellpinit, Washington with his parents (part to full time alcoholics), his sister (a depressed basement dweller), and his grandmother (the one functional member of the family). He also has a best friend called Rowdy, a young man whose father beats him and who, in turn, beats up everyone in his path. Except Junior. When we first meet him, Junior is excited to begin his first day of high school. A self-proclaimed nerd of the highest order, Junior eagerly opens his geometry book only to find his mother's name inscribed inside the cover. That's right. This is the same geometry book his mother used when she was a freshman in high school. Junior is filled with such hopeless rage that he chucks the book at his teacher, earning himself a suspension. But after a conversation with his teacher, he sets out on a quest for hope, resolving to transfer to the local white school in Reardan.

I loved this book for so many reasons. I loved it for the humor, dialogue, and artwork. But also for the ache it gave me in the back of my throat when I imagined a life like Junior's. This is my second encounter with Sherman Alexie's work. Awhile back I watched and loved SMOKE SIGNALS and that came back to haunt me (in a good way) so many times that I was eager for more. This book is semi-autobiographical and that thought alone kept my emotions very close to the surface throughout the reading. The obvious and favorable comparisons to John Green and Chris Crutcher are certainly valid and definite indicators of whether or not you will like the book. But it's worth mentioning that THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN also reminded me of the tough, direct prose found in MY HEARTBEAT and the throbbing longing of I AM THE MESSENGER. If any of this sounds like your cuppa, I'd add this one to your stack posthaste.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted May 7, 2012

Great

I had to read this book in theseventh radeyes it is filled with crude language and racial slurs this book has a much deeper meaning

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted January 17, 2012

This Book Is Amazing A Must Read

Hey people i read thiss book a couple months ago and i loved it and even though junior has a hard life its actully really good i hope who ever reads this book laughs ALOT and crys and smiles too but sometimes we can all relate to junior one way or another

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted September 25, 2011

Amazing Read!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is about a 14-year old Indian boy, Arnold Spirit (Junior) living on the Skopane Indian Reservation. He's born with too much cerebral spinal fluid and other disabilities, such as being near sighted in one eye and farsighted in the other, seizures, stutter, and a lisp. He's always bullied and his family and the whole reservation that he lives on is in poverty, and Reservation Indians don't get any opportunities or chances to grow up and be successful. One day he decides to take control of his life and future and enrolls in an all-white school where he eventually grows from an outcast to a loved peer: having a lot of friends, being on the basketball team, having a girlfriend, etc.
The major messages/themes of this book is that everyone in the world, no matter how poor, old, young, what nationality you are, etc., can take control of their life. If you decide you want to succeed, you'll actually have to work for it; it won't just come to you. You can overcome any obstacles in your path by believing and just moving forward towards your goal/'s.
I liked the book very much because it talks about very common problems and it shows young readers that overcoming the odds can be done. It's actually a very inspiring book which encourages you to get out there and start getting things done instead of sitting and waiting for them to come to you, which probably won't happen.
I only have one dislike, and that's the fact that this was a very fast read. You get so into the book you just want to keep going and keep reading to find out what happens next. It ends too fast though and you want to find out what happens to Arnold even after the book is done.
You should definitely read this book because if helps you realize that life is very short and you should take action to start making your dreams and goals come true. If you don't get to them now, you probably won't get to them later. This book will make you want to start doing something today instead of tomorrow.
My overall rating for this book would be a five. This book really made me look at myself and think about what I would like to achieve (short term and long term goals) and it made me really think about how I should start to work towards them and overcome obstacles that might get in my way.
You should definitely read this book! Not only is it inspiring, but overall the story is just hilarious and very entertaining!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Rusty-C-Adore

Posted November 22, 2009

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An amazing tale

Sherman Alexie is a fantastic writer. And this book is only one of many excellent books. It has an easy to read format and the characters are very real (it's a story based off of his life after all). This book deserves every award that it has won.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Mattsmom8194

Posted September 15, 2009

Easy Reading

This book was a very good book. It is also easy reading for anyone that is not an avid reader.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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jmosherbaker

Posted September 5, 2009

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One of the best books I've read this year!

This book grabbed me from the very first sentence. I listened to the audiobook first (read by Alexie himself) which is one of the best audiobooks I've listened to. The story is semi-autobiographical which explains why the story rings so true. Alexie writes with a voice that is full of heart, but is also powerful. Many award winning books end up being so beautifully written that there is little or no story, or they have no appeal whatsoever. This is NOT one of those books. You feel such empathy for Junior (Arnold) right at the beginning and your respect for him grows exponentially. He is a character that will stay with you long after you finish the book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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EGHunter01

Posted February 5, 2009

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Living in two worlds.

This is a touching narration of living on an Indian reservation. Just image trying to live in two totally different worlds, even though they are similar; image you are an Indian loving your family and friends, but also wanting to know life outside the reservation; now you may have just a little idea of how the main character feels. You will "feel" his emotions and be touched by his story. You will cheer at his victories and feel sad when defeat occurs. This was an eye-opener. Enjoy the culture of this book.

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Awesomeness1

Posted February 2, 2009

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Fantastic

This novel, both hilarious and charming, is a great peice of teen literature. In other words, it was awesome. It will make you shed both tears of joy and sorrow as you follow Junior on his journey of self-discovery in a place of heartbreak. I loved this book.

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oARo

Posted November 21, 2008

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The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a must read!

This book was tremendous! The author uses descriptive words and includes a unique style. The characters were well-planned and they seemed like real teens. If you are looking for humor, adventure, and tradegy this is a must for you! Also, there is detailed illustrations that I thought went perfect for the book. This is definetely one of my top 10 favorite novels.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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