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

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is ostensibly a book about one kid, born on the reservation, but now leaving it to go to a better school. However, it is also about how Indians fit into the wider world (in his school, "the only other Indian is the school mascot"), and life on the rez (alcoholism, casinos, education, pretty much anything). This was the first book I read where one story is in the middle of another, larger story, and it's probably the one that's done it best so far.

It stands alone in YA as an unromanticised view of Native Americans (in fact, books like this on Goodreads seems to be picking up on this as either creative or ethnic minority YA-never Native American YA). Being British, the most I've ever learnt about Native Americans is a few lessons on Native Americans a couple centuries back (why? Because it's technically British history, I guess).

The illustrations are great too (he's a big drawer). They may not be beautiful or the best thing that's ever been put onto paper, but they accurately capture the spirit of the book-which is a big thing for me. A book could get da Vinci and I wouldn't be impressed unless it matched the book (if they brought him back to life as well, that would be entirely different).

Rating: five and a half stars out of six