Part-time Indian Arnold "Junior" Spirit was speaking directly to me, and me only, when I was reading his diary. He was engaging, scintillating, and freely shared his ups and downs in the search of his own identity as a goofy Indian boy studying in an all-white school. This was made possible because of how Sherman Alexie was drawing from his own personal experiences growing up, which brought out the candidness in the thoughts and emotions. Furthermore, it deals with a range of hard-hitting topics - race, prejudices, poverty, alcoholism, bullying, death; and endearing ones - family, friends, culture, love, adolescence. With illustrations by Ellen Forney, who has created different styles of artwork to represent Junior's state of mind through his diary, they are presented in a manner that speaks to a younger audience yet still is accessible to mature readers. Perhaps even more so, as everything is laid out bare through the eyes of a boy trying to create his own path, free from what many perceive his road in life would be. Smart, slapstick, and significant, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" is a classic that speaks to a human desire to be accepted while be one's own person. I absolutely enjoyed it.

This is that kind of book that you let everyone borrow because it's such a great read.

This book was recommended to me after I expressed an interest in young adult novels. I was a bit skeptical, but actually ended up not being able to put it down. I loved it! Great character development and well written.

Great book. Funny and poignant, not mooshy, well written, great characters. Good for either sex, or for a teen who needs a change from Gossip Girls.

I made the grave mistake of reading this book over dinner at a restaurant, on a business trip. Other customers must have thought I was quite mad. I laughed out loud, wept, and laughed some more. Sherman Alexie captures the realities of poverty, teenage angst, and 'being indian' with brilliance and humour. If I could write as well as Mr. Alexie, I could express to you how excellent this book is. Read it! =)

This ingenious story of an indian teen who is pretending to be white so he can attend a prestegious high schoolis complete with hilarious sketches. With it's raw humour and perspective of a teen boy, this book is sure perfect for teens.

Junior lives on the rez. His dad's a drunk, he's best friend is a menace, and Junior gets beaten up all the time by bullies. But when he goes to school, which he is excited about, and sees that he is using the exact same geometry book that his mom used 20 years ago he flips out a bit. He realizes he has got to escape the prison that is the rez. So he decides to go to the white school in town 30 miles away. He is a part-time indian on the rez (or white lover depending who he is talking to) and part time student at school. It is such a dramatic story but all the situations ring so true. While set in U.S., it feels like it could be Canadian. Every grade 9 student in the country should read this book. Powerful. Thank you Alexie Sherman!!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is absolutely gorgeous! A stunning tale that embodies love, pathos, revenge, family, and culture, it follows the amazing escapades of Arnold Spirit Junior, an Indian from a small town reservation who spontaneously decides to transfer to an all-white school. He soon learns that at home on the reservation, he must act “Indian,” but at school, he needs to act “white.” Hence begins his incredible journey as a “part-time Indian.” An insightful story that entails all kinds of emotions, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian follows the struggles of an Indian boy who finds his split life between being white and Indian steadily turning him into a shunned outcast on both sides. Written with compassion and heart, I would recommend this masterpiece of a tale to teens of all ages. A spectacular story that stands above all as original and penetrating, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian deserves 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is absolutely gorgeous! A stunning tale that embodies love, pathos, revenge, family, and culture, it follows the amazing escapades of Arnold Spirit Junior, an Indian from a small town reservation who spontaneously decides to transfer to an all-white school. He soon learns that at home on the reservation, he must act “Indian,” but at school, he needs to act “white.” Hence begins his incredible journey as a “part-time Indian.” An insightful story that entails all kinds of emotions, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian follows the struggles of an Indian boy who finds his split life between being white and Indian steadily turning him into a shunned outcast on both sides. Written with compassion and heart, I would recommend this masterpiece of a tale to teens of all ages. A spectacular story that stands above all as original and penetrating, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian deserves 4.5 out of 5 stars.