Flight-Sherman Alexie

Mr. Alexie, you are on NOTICE. If you write ONE MORE novel as brilliant as Absolutely True Diaries of a Part Time Indian or Flight, you will officially be my new literary boyfriend.

Flight tells the story of "Zits," a half Indian, half White 15 year old foster child. His mother died when he was six, and his father ran off the day Zits was born. Because his father never claimed him, Zits can't claim legal status as an Indian. As such, he's placed with white family after white family.

Zits harbors a deep anger and hatred for his situation in life. And I don't blame him; he's been through something like 20 foster homes (none of them good) and all his belongings fit in a backpack. Understandably, he's kind of a prick. But, you know, I have a GIANT soft spot for unruly foster kids, so I liked Zits immediately.

Convinced by a "friend" he met in Juvie, Zits walks into a bank, armed and crazy, and opens fire. A bullet explode into his head and then...nothingness. When he wakes up, he finds that not only is it 1975, but he's inhabiting the body of Hank Storm, an FBI agent.

Zits careens through space and time, waking up in new bodies that witness shocking acts of violence and revenge, including Custer's Last Stand.

Of course there's a moral lesson here about the damage seeking revenge can cause, but the moral never feels heavy handed. I adored Zits, and teared up more than once as he told his story. As this is a Sherman Alexie novel, I also laughed quite a bit.

Seriously Mr. Alexie; I'm one more good book away from staring at your author photo with little cartoon hearts in my eyes. I may or may not begin keeping a photo of you on my bedside. You know, something like this:


Don't say you haven't been warned.