Every now and then, I come across a book I cannot put down, a book that leaves me laughing out loud on the train and possibly scaring nearby passengers, who might think I am crazy. Sherman Alexie's debut young adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is exactly this kind of book. Junior's a high school student, living on an Indian reservation near Spokane, Washington. One day in class, out of frustration, he throws his textbook at the wall. It doesn't quite get there. Instead, it hits his teacher in his face. Rather than yelling at Junior or demanding an apology, the teacher does something quite unexpected. He apologizes for Junior, for the way the entire system in this country completely screws over Native Americans. He apologizes to Junior because he knows that most likely, even though Junior is bright, he will end up like almost everyone around him, drunk and incapable of getting out of their situation. He tells Junior to go to school off the reservation.
Junior does. He starts attending Reardon High School, 22 miles away from the edge of the reservation. He's the only American Indian student there, and this fact, coupled with some other traits that make him stand out, leave him a loner.
This sounds like a pathetic story so far, right? The surprise is that it's not, at all. Totally unexpected and good things happen to Junior, as well as some sad things. Also, Junior's a budding comic illustrator, so the book is chock full of his drawings. This book is an account of a pivotal year in a teenager's life. It's funny enough to make you (okay, me) choke on my burrito, and touching enough to... well, let's just say I'm a crier.
Five out of five stars
FYI: While this is Alexie's first YA book, it's by no means his first book. He's written several novels and short stories, and is quite the acclaimed adult fiction author.
