Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

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

23 reviews

dancingprince's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Real and necessary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Addiction, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Homophobia

nina17's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Violence

micaelamariem's review against another edition

emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I did not know about the controversy around the author when I picked up this book so this review is solely about the book and not the author.
It was an okay read. Definitely quick and easy to read. I liked the exploration of what it means to be Native American and how the individual is always struggling with the community. There was some stuff that was uncomfortable—I can see why it’s a banned book—and some issues I wish were addressed better than they were, but overall it was an enjoyable read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Racism, Suicide, Bullying, Car accident, Colonisation, Alcohol, Death, Blood, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Violence, Vomit, Ableism, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Cultural appropriation

renereadsthings's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Addiction

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Violence, and War

Minor: Gun violence and Homophobia

alysonwonderland84's review against another edition

dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, Physical abuse, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexual content and Homophobia

keisdiary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

so good omg

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Murder, Misogyny, Homophobia, Alcoholism, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence and Racial slurs

Minor: Vomit

jonwood's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Read this for an online teaching course. 

The book is a brutally honest look at the life of a kid in a community that is victim of unfair circumstance. His family and neighbors seem trapped in an perpetual self-destructive cycle of alcohol and gambling. It's a depressing reality that many children find them selves stuck in. Even when the protagonist gets to go to a better school, it's revealed a lot of the well to do people have their own problems, which just you shouldn't judge anyone without knowing their story. Deaths and acts of violence are sudden and reflect the pointlessness of it in real life.

In all, I think is a rather reflection and frank discussion on the harsh reality many kids face and a good way for those unaware to that life to become more aware. I suppose the reason I didn't love the book is that the author seems to do a good job capturing the juvenile/bathroom/homophobic humor that reminds too much of the boys would attempt to avoid as an adolescent, and I don't want to spend too much time around people who talk like that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Medical content, and Racial slurs

Minor: Gun violence, Racism, Eating disorder, Sexism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, and Car accident

directorpurry's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Drug abuse, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Suicide, and Body shaming

Minor: Colonisation

emdear's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Murder, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Grief, Death, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Cultural appropriation, and Gun violence

taliatalksbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by the one and only Sherman Alexie was a quick, one day read. When I picked this up, I didn’t expect to fly through it, but the comedic/casual tone for such serious topics really drew me in and propelled me forward. Though it’s not a long book, I think it handles really important and intricate topics through the lens’s of a child trying to better himself. Though some moments can be a little harsh, I think this is a great read for young adults, especially those who have limited to no knowledge about the issues that can plague life on native reservations, including poverty and addiction. Overall, I really enjoyed this read, and I think you will, too, despite the language being a bit dated. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Addiction