The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian in DC Public Library

Apr 06, 2011 Alison rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, bookclub

This was a really great read, very fast (as YA novels tend to be for many adult readers) but very engaging. Alexie tells us the story of Arnold Spirit, who decides to go off the rez for high school. We follow his freshman year as he learns to navigate being a double outsider -- the only Indian at his white high school, and as someone who has 'left the rez' even though he still lives there. A great story, simultaneously full of fun (the main characters are 15 year old boys after all) and pain, bu ...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Megan Reichelt rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya

Junior lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation, stuck in a life that has no forward momentum. You are born here, you live here, and you die here, poor as dirt and often mired in a despair that his family and community try to escape in dangerous and addictive ways. After becoming enraged that the textbook he was handed in class was the same one his mother used as a child, he is entreated by his teacher (the target of Junior's book-flinging anger who is saturated with regret) to get out. Junior ta ...more

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Dec 13, 2007 Beth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, growing-pains, read-again-and-again, illustrated-books

I can't say enough good about this book. It's amazing - by turns tragic and triumphant, angry and joyful, and always true, Alexie's semi-autobiographical novel is GORGEOUS. He has distilled the themes that have preoccupied him throughout his career into a single, crystalline, pulsating volume.

Though not strictly a graphic novel (more an illustrated book), it's impossible to imagine Junior/Arnold's story without Ellen Forney's illustrations, which reveal as much about his world as Alexie's maste ...more

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May 30, 2008 Christina rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2008, northwest

This is a Young Adult book, so it's pretty short and fast to read. I sound like a cliche here, but this book alternately had me laughing my ass off and then swimming in despair, or getting depressed at how awful the situation is on the reservation and then feeling hopeful that the narrator kid is going to make a go of succeeding at improving his life. Very touching, and seemingly realistic portrayal of the thoughts, actions, friendships, and dialogue of teenage boys and Indians. ...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Lizzie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, audiobook, humor

Don't know how much more I can add about the awesomeness of Sherman Alexie that hasn't already been said. The audiobook absolutely a must listen to even if you've already read the book. ...more

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Apr 10, 2008 Cole rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-for-teenagers, multicultural-children-s-lit

I'd heard a lot of hype about this book, and I recently couldn't get through a movie Alexie wrote, "The Business of Fancydancing," (though the sophistication of my film tastes has lately been low...) so I was a little concerned going in, but TATDoaPTI was completely wonderful and totally perfect. ...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Elsbeth added it

I did not finish this book.

I know everyone loves it, I couldn't get into it and I kept telling myself I would finish, but really I just need to make my "currently reading" list smaller and I will never finish this.

Luckily I have many fellow librarians to tell me what this book is about.

I'm interested to hear what people liked about it; I found the main character intensely annoying. ...more

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Jan 27, 2010 Erin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: dcpl-has, youngadult, contemporary-realism, social-justice

Love the first person narration and the wry, angry, humorous voice of Junior/Arnold Spirit. The cartoons were great as well, and really added something to the story.

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