The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time IndianThe Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Score Modern
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
Ghost
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
There ThereGood to know
It deals with alcoholism, death and racism. It has been frequently challenged in schools.
By the numbers
- 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
- #85 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #696 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1316 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
The Book Thief
The Help
The Glass Castle
The Coldest Winter Ever
Every Living Thing
The BottomsExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →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.
















