Reading Response for

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11 November 2016
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian- a Review
Part 1
Junior, Arnold, or his real name, Sherman Alexie, does what every teen living in abject poverty does, on a Spokane Washington Reservation. He as a good head, with a surprising sense of humor in writing about the life dealt his family. Born with a series of problems that include Hydrocephalus, seizure disorder and many other ailments, he has humor. Despite all these problems, Junior deals with the crap of his sucky life with humor and wisdom. Junior paints cartoons about his families’ disorganized poverty-stricken world with the eye of a disjointed painter in the genre of a twisted Indian Picasso. Junior is most painstaking when he describes the true state of his health and appearance.
As one who believes humor makes the world less painful, it was quite easy to identify with the disabled version of a typical teenager growing up in the world today. Actually, the cartoons in the book were drawn by someone else, they fit quite nicely into Junior’s storyline. I liked his friend Rowdy. This kid finds escape at Junior’s house from the brutality of his house. These two kids become great friends because each finds both solace and protection from the meanest of school kids who love to pick on others. Rowdy protects Junior from all those who would hurt him. In fact, Junior relates a painful encounter with the Andruss triplets in which they kick him in the family jewels. “My Brain is fine, but my balls are dying” (21).

Rowdy comes to the rescue by following them home. He sneaks in after they pass out from drinking, and cuts their hair and their eyebrow hair off. It is a steal hit to their self-esteem and a true anonymous payback. Junior takes this, like all the other painful incidents with a grain of salt.
Part 2
The setting described by Junior feels accurate for a poverty-stricken Indian reservation. It also fits well with most Ghetto settings. The storyline fits in many low-income schools. The environment details families who do not have a lot of money. The parents jump into alcohol abuse, or drugs to escape their misery. The sad part is, this plays out many places in the country. It is sadly, not a unique story, and shows having hope is a good thing.
When a teacher suggests he change to a white high school in Reardon after he is suspended for throwing the book at that very teacher. He chooses to take the advice. Rowdy is angry and punches Junior. Then Junior meets some new friends as grows as an individual. Junior travels back and for from the reservation to the white school he labels himself as the part-time Indian as in the title of this book. He finds a version of love, after he meets Penelope and they go to the Winter Dance. Junior discovers what hormones are all about as he feels desire for her. The next best part was Turtle Lake and the supernatural. Everyone loves those supernatural stories.
Part 3
The most touching part of this book is when Junior’s dog Oscar is sick with sunstroke. Deep down he knows the family has no money to take the dog to the vet. Junior’s dad does the only thing he could do is putting the dog out of his misery. I even shed a tear or two, when reading this part of the book. Junior is devastated, but deep down he knows it was the only possible solution. The author has a way with descriptive words. I remember when I had to make that choice for my dog. It was a heartbreaking decision and one of the most painful decisions anyone has to make when it concerns a loved-one, be it human or animal. In a review of the book, Diane Samuels (1) states Junior tells it like it is.” I agree with her this story plays out all over the country and not just on the reservation. It is a story about growing up different from others. Every teen goes through this process of discovery. Though it does not help when one has health issues that other children do not understand, but life is all about that. The author is honest, frank and speaks directly to the reader. I really liked that.
Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 2008 E-book 10 November
2016
Samuels, Diane, A Brave Life: A review Guardian 2007 Web 10 November 2016
www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/04/teenage.sherman.alexie.