If you liked
Books like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is one of the most-read YA novels of the last twenty years and one of the most-banned. Junior's voice is what readers come back for. These five carry that energy forward.
The shortlist
What to read next
Reservation Bluesby Sherman Alexie
“Sherman Alexie's first novel. Robert Johnson hands his guitar to a kid on the Spokane Reservation. Magic realism with grief in the bones.”
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heavenby Sherman Alexie
“The Alexie short story collection that made his career. Some of these became Smoke Signals. All of them earn their place.”
Rubyfruit Jungleby Rita Mae Brown
“Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown 1973 review. The landmark coming-of-age novel about Molly Bolt, a smart, queer Florida kid who refuses every social script she is handed.”
Microserfsby Douglas Coupland
“Microserfs by Douglas Coupland review. The 1995 novel about Microsoft programmers starting a Bay Area startup. The defining Silicon Valley novel of its decade.”
The Hoursby Michael Cunningham
“The Hours by Michael Cunningham review. The 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that triangulates Virginia Woolf, a 1949 LA housewife, and a contemporary NYC editor. One of the great American literary novels of its decade.”
FAQ
Common questions about The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian read-alikes
- Are these all young-adult or coming-of-age?
- Rubyfruit Jungle and Microserfs are coming-of-age in the same Junior register, though adult readers. Reservation Blues and The Lone Ranger and Tonto are Alexie's adult Indigenous fiction; both make Diary read more fully when you have the broader context.
- Which is the best next Alexie?
- The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. The short stories show his range better than the novels do, and several of the Diary chapters started life as Alexie shorts.
- What other Indigenous YA should I read?
- Tommy Orange's There There (adult but YA-accessible), Joseph Bruchac's Code Talker, and Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves are the strongest contemporary cousins outside our review catalog.
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