Sherman Alexie is a rare and gifted writer, who can take his own pain and transform it into fiction that sparkles with wit even as it stabs you to the bone.
In the semi-autobiographical The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, we meet Arnold Spirit, Jr., a nerdy 14-year-old from the Spokane Indian Reservation. Arnold (or Junior, as he's known on the rez), has a violent epiphany on the first day of high school, when he's issued the same geometry textbook his mother used more than 20 years before. At the urging of his teacher, Arnold takes a step into the unknown by transferring to a high school in a white town 22 miles from home, alienating many in his tribe, including his best friend.
Arnold has some common teenage problems--acne, difficulty fitting in, bullies--compounded by the fact that he was born hydrocephalic, resulting in a larger-than-average head and bad eyes. But Arnold also deals with more than his share of adult problems, including poverty, familial alcoholism, and far too many deaths among family and friends.
But through it all, Arnold is a warrior. In this character, Alexie introduces us to a courageous, feisty, smart kid you can't help but root for, from his first steps into the white school at Reardan, through his determined attempts to restore his relationship with his best friend, to his hysterical response to yet another devastating loss.
The other characters in the book are also very human; they are flawed--some deeply so--yet unique and lovable in their own ways. They travel alongside Arnold, or fight against him, on a journey of hope and despair, friendship and hatred, vivified in Alexie's poetic prose.
Seattle local Ellen Forney's cartoons--ostensibly drawn by Arnold himself--provide additional humor and add subtext to the young artist's narration of his own story.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is meant for young adults, but I would recommend it for both teens and adults for its humor, and for its fierce hope.