Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Illustrator: Ellen Forney
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Series: No
Pages: 240
Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Buy: Amazon

Summary: from Good Reads
Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

With a forward by Markus Zusak, interviews with Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney, and four-color interior art throughout, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike.

Feelings:
This book had me crying in the first fourteen pages. I thought about putting it down then and not reading the rest of the book. However, I figured if the book could evoke that kind of emotion so quickly it would be worth reading. I should note I love dogs. The first fourteen pages might not have been a tear-jerker if I didn't like dogs.

I was curious why this book was banned in the schools and the only reason I could see was references to masturbation and boners. The narrator is a high school freshman and both masturbation and boners seem like topics that would be on the mind of a young boy.

This was not what I consider a gentle story it dealt with difficult topics: poverty, alcoholism, being an outsider, and death. Maybe because this story feels real and looks at a darker side of America is the real reason it was banned. However, I think students need to be exposed to things outside of the familiar. After finishing the book, I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a book that  will have you laughing and crying.