The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a first-person narrative novel by Sherman Alexie.

Plot
The book tells the story of Arnold Spirit Jr (better known as Junior), a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation (who also has water on the brain and some other deformities). Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school, where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Heartbreaking, funny, and nicely written.
 * 2) Great drawings.
 * 3) Accurate depictions of life on the rez.
 * 4) Junior is a likable protagonist. We see how hard he has it growing up on the rez (even how much he's bullied due to his deformities), and how hard he has it fitting in at his new school.
 * 5) The book deals with many important issues, especially for middle schoolers and high schoolers, such as bullying, feeling like an outcast and finding a place in the world.
 * 6) It discusses relevant issues such as racism, alcoholism and the deaths of loved ones.
 * 7) Although the topics can be heavy at times, they present the topics realistically and appropriately for the intended age group.
 * 8) It works as an invaluable teaching tool to prepare students for the hardships they will inevitably face in their lives, not only promoting the importance of perseverance, but also making students think about how they would handle difficult situations.
 * 9) It is true that this book deals with harsh subject matter, and it is true that it contains what some people consider to be mature content. However, it deals with issues in an approachable way through the voice of someone who is highly relatable to teenagers.
 * 10) Unlike many of the massive tomes written by long-dead white men hundreds of years ago that students read in their classes, this book is actually relatable.
 * 11) Heartwarming ending.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) It has been one the most frequently challenged books since 2008, due to depictions of:
 * 2) Alcohol
 * 3) Bullying
 * 4) Violence
 * 5) Sexuality
 * 6) Profanity and slurs
 * 7) Homosexuality
 * 8) Mental disabilities
 * 9) Some extremely racist jokes, such as "Indians are living proof that n_ggers f_ck buffalo."
 * 10) The book can be mean-spirited at times. For example, the part where a group thirty year-old siblings actually make fun of Junior's brain disorder.

Reception
The book has received critical acclaim, winning three major "year's best" awards, a biannual award for books by and about Native Americans, and a California award that annually covers the last four years.

However, although critically acclaimed, it has also been the subject of controversy and has consistently appeared on the annual list of frequently challenged books since 2008, becoming the most frequently challenged book from 2010-19. Controversy stems from the novel’s depiction of alcohol, poverty, bullying, violence, sexuality, profanity and slurs related to homosexuality and mental disability. As a result, some schools have banned the book from school libraries or inclusion in curricula.