"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" was written by Sherman Alexie and published by Little, Brown, and Company in 2007. I first noticed the two drawings on the cover which leads me to expect more drawings in the actual book. I see this as a sign of a creative writer appealing to my liking for drawing.
To sum the book up, it starts off with an Indian boy who grows up on a reservation overcrowded with other Indians. The protagonist is Arnold who is born with “water on the brain.” He ends up going to an all-white school where he gains new experiences and develops a whole new perspective to life. He finds some kind of love, gets bullied and overcomes it, etc. The classic new kid at school hook. At the end of it all, he manages to fit in even though everyone knows where he comes from and his living situation and makes some really good unexpected friendships. Arnold’s family consists of his mother, father, grandma, and sister who leaves the family to get married after Arnold leaves the rest to go to an all white school. It is as if she is trying to one up him. They are generally poor but manage to get by. ”
Despite having health conditions, Arthur goes throughout the book without experiencing too many life-threatening situations. He has a best friend called Rowdy who is the polar opposite of him. He is athletic, dumb and rough. Despite their differences they get along until Arnold switches schools. They end up fighting for most of the book and go against each other during basketball. Arnold manages to overcome Rowdy and beat him in basketball during the final high school game. He is upset at first but they manage to make up. This book reminds me of the series "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," which I would recommend.
I have read my fair share of first-person books so I can point out what I think is valid and not. What makes this a decent book to me is that it allows me to understand a story from another person's point-of-view. One thing that I find disappointing throughout the novel is the amount of unexplored opportunities for a juicier plot. All in all, I would not recommend this book to a first-time reader as I feel that it would be a bad example of first-person books. However, I do enjoy it and would read the book again. I can now say after reading this book that I know what it’s like to be a “part-time Indian.”
I have read my fair share of first-person books so I can point out what I think is valid and not. What makes this a decent book to me is that it allows me to understand a story from another person's point-of-view. One thing that I find disappointing throughout the novel is the amount of unexplored opportunities for a juicier plot. All in all, I would not recommend this book to a first-time reader as I feel that it would be a bad example of first-person books. However, I do enjoy it and would read the book again. I can now say after reading this book that I know what it’s like to be a “part-time Indian.”
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