The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Response

Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a very entertaining and humorous book that is unlike anything I have ever read.  This book is an excellent work of young adult fiction, and young readers will find this book very appealing for many different reasons.

Scattered throughout this novel are little comics and drawings from the narrator that serve as illustrations for certain thoughts or scenes.  Most of the drawings are quite humorous, and they add a lot to the novel.  The drawings also greatly aid comprehension.  The drawings in this novel clarify what the narrator has said by either providing a visual representation of what's been said or by explaining what's been said in a different way (i.e. through imaginings, exaggerations, etc.).  Simply the fact that this book does have drawings will entice a lot of young and/or reluctant readers.

This book will also be very appealing to young readers because of the voice of the narrator throughout the novel.  The novel reads like a kid telling his story; in other words, it really is like a diary.  Young readers will be able to relate to the narrator because he uses the same vernacular as they do.  Additionally, the narrator, like many other kids, struggles to make sense of his world, and he must deal with the same awkwardness and embarrassments that come with adolescence.

I think that a lot of kids would genuinely enjoy this book.  It is an easy read, it has pictures to accommodate the text, and the narrator is very relatable, humorous, and likeable.  However, I could see several problems with trying to implement this text in the classroom.  There are a lot of things in this book that are flat-out racist, which could be disturbing for a lot of people.  There is also a fair amount of swear words in this novel; I don't think the swearing is excessive, and it is used at good points to accentuate meaning, but the book doesn't refrain from using the f-word and certain slurs.  Additionally, this book pokes fun at religion from time to time, which may not sit well with certain people.

Overall, I think this is a great young adult novel.  This book will definitely appeal to a lot of young readers; there are a lot of things within the story that young people can relate to, and the story is very funny and entertaining.