Yay for us for picking this book for book club! I’m amazed and delighted and impressed by this book. Confident in its Young Adult-ness, it then refuses to pull any punches. I learned so much, and am so glad that “youth” everywhere have this available to them. I think it’s fair to say that we all have an awareness on some level or another how much the Reservations system has failed the Native Americans and Native Canadians across this continent. How hard life is on […]
In which I try not to let my personal pickiness ruin a good book
3.5 stars I can recognize a good book when I see one. The Absolutely True Diary… is touching, thoughtful, considered, and funny. It features a unique protagonist who is fleshed out honestly and whose diverse perspective (drawn from Sherman Alexie’s own experiences) is a valuable addition to the YA landscape. I came away from reading this book not just with an abstractly increased sense of empathy, but with an actual education. Should this book be widely read and roundly discussed? Yes, absolutely. Did I “enjoy” […]
Reservations were supposed to be Prisons
This is a quick read, but no less powerful for the ease in which I read it. I had read the book previously, but when it was an option for our group read I will admit that I voted for it. I think it’s one of the more important books to come out in recent years. This book hits me pretty hard and is kind of difficult to talk about, but this is my attempt to do so. The first time I read this novel, I […]
“Death is never added to death, it multiplies.”
I’m not going to review the book too deeply, in anticipation of our discussion. These are just some thoughts I had. I had no idea that Sherman Alexie wrote the screenplay for Smoke Signals. if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend that you do. If you enjoyed this book, I couldn’t recommend that movie enough. It has a similar tone, and touches on some of the same themes. Stylistically, this book could’ve been written by Stephen King. Maybe that’s a weird comparison to make, but […]