"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" book review

How fast of a read is Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?  I wanted this book to last me a couple days—it was the last book on my list to read for Banned Books Week—but I accidentally read it in three hours instead.  How does one read a whole book “accidentally,” you may ask?  I only wanted to read about half yesterday and before I knew it I was on page 150 out of 230, at which point I was too engrossed to put the last 80 pages aside another day.

Alexie’s biggest strength with this short novel is his ability to convey deep plot points—racism, poverty, alcoholism, death—in a lighthearted way that somehow doesn’t undermine what needs to be said.  Arnold “Junior” Spirit is an excellent narrator for this story.  He tackles his life-changing decision to attend high school not in the impoverished school in the Indian reservation his family lives but instead at the traditionally white high school miles away with well-timed wit and humor that you may not expect.  It’s a breath of fresh air to report that Junior sounds like a genuine teenager, and not the 40-year-old author attempting to recreate teenage mannerisms learned secondhand. 

I went into this book without prior knowledge of the plot.  Therefore, it struck me hard within the first couple chapters where Alexie writes with such intense passion about the Indian reservation’s living conditions—and the struggles Junior and his parents fight to overcome.  I was engrossed from the start, and the short novel led to a series of emotions:  triumph, grief, and plenty of laughter.  Grade:  B+