Em Lost In Books's Reviews > The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Looks like I am in minority here as this is a popular book with all those 4 and 5 star ratings and all those glowing reviews.

Let me start with a confession, when I'd came across this title I added it thinking that this would be about Indians of India but I was proved wrong within few pages of starting this. This book is about native American Indians. I was a teeny tiny disappointed but I kept on reading as it has one of my favorite themes i.e. coming of age.

Story is told from PoV of Arnold and is about fitting in.

“Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community.”

So Arnold decides that he wants to read in a white school, to be friends with white kids, and somehow he feels that his community hates him for this. They saw it as he was backing out on whole Indian community and no longer a part of it. Honestly, I didn't see the "hatred" that Arnold felt except perhaps from his best friend and other guys of his age. Other than that his family was very supportive of his decision and other adults in the Reservation just accepted it as his decision.

While I get it why he is feeling like this (of course, when you are first one to do an odd things, you'd surely going to attract those stern and suspicious glares that made you feel that something is not right with you), what I don't get is "why". Reading in a white school won't make you an exceptionally bright kid or just turn you into a super intelligent kid. His teacher asked him to change school for better studies but the guy was too busy in trying to fit in, to make himself acceptable among the rich and shallow kids.

I think I am too dumb to get the meaning or the message that this book is trying to convey if there is any. No way I am recommending this to any of my friend.