Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

A devastating semi-autobiographical story of a teenaged Spokane Indian who leaves the reservation to break out of the rez cycle of poverty and alcoholism.

This book isn’t very long and it’s very funny, and it has short chapters that move really quickly - but it seemed to take me forever to finish it. I’d put it down and then I’d procrastinate rather than reading more. It was because it’s about the most painful story I’ve read in I don’t know how long. It would be sad enough anyway, but the fact that it’s based on Alexie’s experiences makes it heartbreaking.

I know about Alexie’s sexual abuse of women and the harm that he caused. That infuriates me. For someone so talented and so representative of a minority to take advantage of his position in this way is worse than appalling because it gives a bad name to all in that minority. In addition to my anger, I have mixed feelings about recommending his book. It’s the same with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski movies - how do you separate the reprehensible artist from the spectacular art? Is that even possible?

I don’t know the answer. I just know that this was a phenomenal book that makes me want to read everything else by Sherman Alexie.

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vivthereader's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny fast-paced

cried x3

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lucinotlucy's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

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maggiewen's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Wow, I hated this book 🤩

I guess this book just didn’t hit me like it did everyone else. It wasn’t the meaningful coming-of-age contemporary novel that almost everyone else described it as. It felt more like a cheesy, offensive picture book that’s filled with bad jokes.

Just completely ignoring the SA allegations against Alexie for a hot second, the humour was in the style of dad jokes and were 90% just self deprivation. I guess the self deprivation was funny in like the first three chapters but got really boring, really quickly.

“So she was all white on white on white, like the most perfect kind of vanilla dessert cake you’ve ever seen.

I wanted to be her chocolate topping.” (page 114)

It was so exhausting being in Arnold’s head because he spoke more like a nine year old than a freshman in high school. And I would know, I’m literally the targeted age group. Arnold went from being a mediocre character before he went to Reardan (the boarding school) to a really self-centred, annoying character after going to Reardan. I feel like Alexis would be good at very silly, younger middle grade graphic novels. Something like Captain Underpants or Babymouse. You know? Something funny but immature, childish, and without a lot of depth.

Going back to the SA allegation against Alexie, you can totally see just from reading the book that those allegations were coming. Arnold is a fourteen year old boy, and the amount of times he sexualizes other fourteen year old girls is so concerning. And the way Alexie talks about women through Arnold is so uncomfortable

“The girl has an ego. But that’s sexy, too” (page 108)

“Yep, I had a big erection when I learned of my sisters death.” (page 202)

”Who knew that tears of sympathy could be so sexy?” (page 129)

“Snot ran down her face and it was still sort of sexy.” (page 213)

”(His sister) looks like Jennifer Lopez (if J. Lo. Was smarter)” (page 27)

The repeated use of slurs and incorrect and offensive representation of anorexia..

”They (anorexics) think being anorexic makes them special, makes them better than everybody else.” (page 107)

..really just topped it off too.

I really just could not find a single character or joke that I liked from this book. But I did find many characters and jokes that I absolutely, truly, hated.

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