Reviewed by Ambrea
Junior
has spent his entire life growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Born with a wide variety of medical problems,
including seizures and dental issues, he find himself picked on by
everyone—except his best friend, Rowdy.
But when an incident at school spurs Junior to attend an all-white
school in the neighboring farm town, he quickly learns he’s probably the most
hated person on the rez. Determined to
receive a good education, Junior aims for
high grades and a position on the basketball team that earns him the
unexpected admiration of his peers—and discovers a courage and strength he
didn’t know he had.
Written
by Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True
Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a wonderfully engaging novel that recounts
one young man’s struggle to earn the education he deserves. And, while I did find the story appealing, I
decided to pick it for the simple fact that it was on the banned books list
(again) for 2014. Like Captain Underpants (yes, seriously), The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Bluest Eye, Alexie’s novel has
managed to appear on the list not once, not twice, but five time since its publication in 2007—and I was curious as to why
so many readers found it so offensive.
So,
I read it.
I
can see why certain readers may have problems with the book.
I mean, adolescence is a rather terrible time to endure. Between puberty, peer pressure, coming to
grips with one’s sexuality, bullying, social and cultural expectations, it’s a
very messy business. But that doesn’t
stop Junior from telling readers all about it.
It might host some material that’s unsuitable for younger readers, such
as sexually explicit and/or strong language, violence/violent behaviors, but I
think it’s definitely a novel worth reading.
While I did pick up The Absolutely
True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because it ended up on another banned
books list, I finished it because it’s a great YA novel and an engaging piece
of coming-of-age literature.
Sherman
Alexie does a wonderful job bringing Junior’s character to life, offering an
intimate glimpse into the conflicts he faces and the difficult choices he must
make—and, more importantly, giving readers a chance to see the person he
becomes. After all, Junior is a smart
kid. He makes an intelligent, insightful
narrator, and he manages to weave his story together with all the familiar
angst and anger that any teenager feels on a daily basis. He works hard to further his education and,
at the recommendation of his geometry teacher, sets out to learn at a local
school beyond the reservation. Not only
does he face being ostracized by his community for leaving, he’s initially
ridiculed by his peers at Reardan and he endures a scathing sense of
abandonment after his best friend leaves him.
He tells you his struggles, tells you what he thinks and feels, giving
you a candid account of what it’s like to be a kid who feels like a fish out of
water.
Even
though Junior has much different life experiences, I always felt like I had the
ability to connect to him. In telling
his story, he shows the real struggles that most teenager face: loss, love, friendship, failure, tragedy,
harassment and bullying, parental and social expectations. He makes his story accessible, recounting the
universal experiences that many teenagers are likely to endure in high
school. He’s a wonderful, candid
narrator with a heart of gold and he’s a fantastic storyteller, appealing to
readers with both his words and his illustrations.
Overall,
I really enjoyed reading The Absolutely
True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and I’m glad I took the time to read
it. There’s just something about Sherman
Alexie’s novel that makes it so very good.
Perhaps it’s Junior’s illustrations, or his storytelling abilities, or
his heart-wrenching story as he recounts his sudden move from the rez to
Reardan—or exceptional trifecta of amusing illustrations, a wonderful narrator,
and a great story—that makes it such an iconic work for young adults. Either way, I found it to be a fantastic
novel that was appealing and, more importantly, accessible.
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