Fourteen year old Arnold, aka Junior, is a Spokane Indian living on a reservation, with brain damage from birth due to his alcoholic parents. The circumstances on the “rez” are pretty grim as most people never leave and just live in poverty their entire lives. Arnold, despite his disabilities, yearns for more, so he asks his parents if he can attend a high school 22 miles away. At Reardan High, Junior finds himself through playing basketball- his coach recognizes his talent and puts him on Varsity his freshman year. He is determined to succeed despite his hardships, and by the end of the year, he’s not such an outcast anymore.
This is a well written book full of powerful themes regarding bravery and being unapologetically YOU! Junior pushes through so many difficult times and everyday hardships and doesn't allow those to stop him from reaching his goals. He is a great protagonist with a beautiful spirit, despite his physical limitations and, at times, unfortunate surroundings.
I definitely think this book is a little mature for young adults, and I can see why it’s a controversial book. Nonetheless, it has some important topics and themes to explore, and it gives the reader an insight into Indian reservations, which really opened my eyes. The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie is another novel by the same author with similar themes that you may consider reading if you are intrigued by the topic of American Indians and Indian reservations. Fools Crow by James Welch is another classic novel that discusses similar topics, but is set in history, shortly after the Civil War.
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