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Cover of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman AlexieThe Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Modern · Fiction, Young Adult, Classics

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie
2007 · 301 pages · Fiction
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 8 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, leaves his troubled school to attend an all-white farm-town school, where the only other Indian is the mascot. Told in his voice and cartoons, it's a funny and heartbreaking story of finding your place.

Why it's worth reading

It spent 26 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's one of the most widely read young-adult novels of its time.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It deals with alcoholism, death and racism. It has been frequently challenged in schools.

By the numbers

69.8Must-Read Score
  • Readers52 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller58 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
26 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2019

Reads as

Thought-provoking

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

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Quick answers

Is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian worth reading?

Yes. It spent 26 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #1,316 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.8 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian about?

Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, leaves his troubled school to attend an all-white farm-town school, where the only other Indian is the mascot. Told in his voice and cartoons, it's a funny and heartbreaking story of finding your place.

How long does it take to read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?

About 8 hours (301 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?

If you liked it, try Ghost by Jason Reynolds, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky or There There by Tommy Orange.