The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Although others have told me how much this book makes them laugh, more than anything else, it made me cry. Alexie does give a humorous spin on the hard and tragic events in Junior's life, but I was more wrapped up in the keen observations Junior makes about his own life, the people around him, the reservation, and the White world. I was mesmerized by this book because it was filled with insights like this: “Yep, my daddy was an undependable drunk. But he'd never missed any of my organized games, concerts, plays, or picnics. He may not have loved me perfectly, but he loved me as well as he could” (p. 189).

This book is full of WIN.

The 14-year-old narrator has a way of grabbing your heart from his first words. I found myself (as someone else said), laughing out loud when my heart was breaking. This kid had so many reasons to give in to the despair that ravaged his Spokane Indian reservation, but instead he keeps fighting with the help of some friends, his smarts, and his cartoons.

This is a story of hope, and I recommend it for EVERYONE.