The Absolutely True Diary with a Part Time Ending

I thought it was interesting how The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian ultimately ended. There was no happily ever after in this story and after I finished reading I sat and thought about it and it kind of bugged me. There was a feeble attempt at closure in that Rowdy and Junior became friends again, but really the ending upset me. This kid looses his Grandmother due to a drunk driver, his “uncle” figure gets shot, and then his sister dies when her trailer home goes up in smoke. It’s a wonder this book didn’t end up with the kid committing suicide after all the loss he has. I wonder how an epilogue for this story would read. Could it be that Junior is so split between the two lives that he becomes a teacher on the reservation and never actually leaves. Or does he leave and become an award winning cartoonist and never return. Or does his hydrocephalous kill him before he ever makes anything of himself. I’d love to read a continuation of this book. I think that Sherman Alexie does a great job of writing in a language that matches the way that this character would actually talk. Children in middle school would be able to relate to this story regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. I think that every child no matter who they are feels a bit like Junior does. An outcast in some respects. Nobody is ever just content. We all have goals and dreams and ideals that we would like to achieve. Even the kids who seem to “have it all” have insecurities. Juniors story is inspiring to the underdog in all of us that we can get through it and that we can achieve the things we want to, but really I would have loved more closure to his story.