Have you ever been picked on a lot by people who don’t like you because of how you dress, your skin color or where you live? For some bullied students, life is a long dark school hallway. If you have been bullied, then you should read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Despite being born with water on the brain, Alexie is now a famous novelist. For example, he was named one of the best young American novelists and has an “important voice in American literature.” Through The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Alexie’s message to readers is to follow their dreams. Another message is that no matter how bad your relationship may be with your parents, they still love you and will always take care of you.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian begins on the Indian reservation in Washington State. The main characters of the book are Junior and Rowdy. Junior the protagonist is a kid who started wearing glasses when he was three. He was so skinny, that if he turned sideways he felt that he disappeared. His hands and feet were huge. He wore a size 11, and he had a pencil body that looked like a capital L. Junior skull was “epic.” Junior said, “My head was so big that little Indian skulls orbited around it” (3). The connections I have with the main character are that I was picked on a lot in middle school. I didn't know how to defend myself so I had my best friend help me when trouble came my way. The book affected my life when people hate Junior because of his color or how he dress. It’s not fair when people get picked on by everyone just because you are different from everyone else.

On the other hand Rowdy the antagonist is the toughest kid on the “rez.” Rowdy is long, his heart is as strong and mean as a snake” (15). Junior gets picked on by everyone except his best friend, Rowdy. But something challenges their longtime friendship.
My favorite chapter is "Hope against Hope” because Junior must decide whether he wants to remain a loser or become something in the future. The conflict in this novel is that Junior doesn’t want to be a loser like his father. He wants to be something in the world. That’s why he decides to go to the white school so he could feel important or something in the world.
The novel is worth reading because it encourages teens to go to the best school. For example, the protagonist wants a good education even though his town people think he betrays them by leaving the “rez” to go to a white school. I recommend this novel to my cousin because she had a choice to stay in her country or to come to New York to study psychology. She was willing to leave her friends to follow her dreams.