The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

When I started reading this book, I assumed it would be one of those touching, emotionally deep type memoirs, and believe me it is, just in a completely different way. It's written in a way that almost makes it seem like your talking to one of your classmates, or a close friend. When you start reading the book, it immediately starts off with this super poetic sentence, which is pretty funny to me because when you get further into the book it seems like the author can't even bear to be poetic and serious for too long. Even though the author gives the novel a lighthearted appearance, he deals with some pretty serious emotional trauma.

Reading about his struggles make me feel eternally gratefully for my life now, but I also feel ashamed, because I so easily take it for granted. Its so easy to become absorbed into the memoir and his writing because of how he makes sure to include one of his cartoons for everything important to him, and how he makes these experiences seem casual and funny. Even reading the first part of the novel, I feel like I gained more knowledge on how badly racial segregation can be on reservations and how most people can suffer from it.

I'm excited to keep reading this book so I can keep forming new ideas. Being able to learn so much from even one section from a memoir is an entirely new feeling for me. Reading about how wanting to be better can be seen as betrayal and how alcohol can be a monster of its own for some people is a really crazy thing. I'm really hoping this memoir continues to stand out to me, and that it won't stop making me laugh. Even if it can be pretty depressing at times.