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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Here's my final update on The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (previous posts are here and here):
I finished it! It was such an amazing book that made me both laugh and cry. Junior went through so many heartbreaking events and more pain than one person should ever have to endure. But he's a strong kid (although he often doesn't think he is), and there are also tender, happy, and/or funny moments where we get so see how loved he is by his friends and family, imperfect as those relationships sometimes are. Without spoiling anything, it ends on a satisfying and hopeful, if somewhat bittersweet note.
One more thing: after listening to the audiobook and reading the print version, I found myself reading a third version of the book! When I went to return the book (an older paperback edition) to the library, I discovered that there was a brand new 10th anniversary edition on the shelf, containing a lot of great bonus material: personal notes and photos from author Sherman Alexie; a short story told from the POV of Junior's best friend Rowdy; a letter from a teacher talking about how much the book meant to her students, and a student-drawn comic illustrating one of the scenes from the book (in the same style as Junior's comics); and interviews with Alexie and illustrator Ellen Forney (who drew Junior's comics and sketches in the book).
And there's also very exciting news in Alexie's interview, saying that the book is being developed into a movie. For years, he resisted selling the rights because he didn't trust Hollywood to do it justice, but he seems confident now that the people involved will do a good job. He's writing the screenplay and will have casting approval to make sure that all the Native American characters are actually played by Native Americans. Of course, many books get optioned for films that never get made, but I really hope that Junior's story makes it to the big screen.
I finished it! It was such an amazing book that made me both laugh and cry. Junior went through so many heartbreaking events and more pain than one person should ever have to endure. But he's a strong kid (although he often doesn't think he is), and there are also tender, happy, and/or funny moments where we get so see how loved he is by his friends and family, imperfect as those relationships sometimes are. Without spoiling anything, it ends on a satisfying and hopeful, if somewhat bittersweet note.
One more thing: after listening to the audiobook and reading the print version, I found myself reading a third version of the book! When I went to return the book (an older paperback edition) to the library, I discovered that there was a brand new 10th anniversary edition on the shelf, containing a lot of great bonus material: personal notes and photos from author Sherman Alexie; a short story told from the POV of Junior's best friend Rowdy; a letter from a teacher talking about how much the book meant to her students, and a student-drawn comic illustrating one of the scenes from the book (in the same style as Junior's comics); and interviews with Alexie and illustrator Ellen Forney (who drew Junior's comics and sketches in the book).
And there's also very exciting news in Alexie's interview, saying that the book is being developed into a movie. For years, he resisted selling the rights because he didn't trust Hollywood to do it justice, but he seems confident now that the people involved will do a good job. He's writing the screenplay and will have casting approval to make sure that all the Native American characters are actually played by Native Americans. Of course, many books get optioned for films that never get made, but I really hope that Junior's story makes it to the big screen.