This was the first Alexie book I read, for an Anthropology class at Purdue - thanks Professor Watson (he is amazing by the way). This is a really dark mystery, involving a series of murders. It deals with racism and hate. Amazing. ( )

An interesting premise and story, but I found the ending unsatisfying. ( )

Understanding Sherman Alexie is a little complicated, a little conflicting. Listen to him speak and he'll stress that he's just a typical guy, that there's nothing really that mystical about being a Spokane Indian, or American Indian in general. Read one of his works, though, and you'll find his magic oozing between each page. Magic that's woven with tenderness, rage, and humor that's distinctly and unabashedly Indian. Magically real and real magic.

Such was my hunch after reading Indian Killer. Much more than a mystery, Indian Killer is an epic construct of the alienated and isolated American Indian, perhaps even just the American experience. Alexie interweaves the interconnectedness of a disparate set of characters, Indian and otherwise, within the mist and cold of Seattle.

The main theme of the story deals with the advancement of John Smith, adopted Spokane Indian by a young non-native couple from Seattle into adulthood. Smith is the symbol, the representation of alienation and marginalization, his actions set around a series of violent murders unhinging the city. The greater story, however, concerns itself more around the other archetypes Alexie so often seems conflicted with: the whites who are Indians of the "Wannabe Tribe", the academics who hijack Indian stories, the perpetually exploited and oppressed Indians, and the rednecks who take advantage when the right moment arises.

Alexie artfully interweaves each of these elements, while simultaneously providing beautifully rich detail of the setting. His description of Seattle, though not forced, is intensely deliberate. The distinctive neighborhoods, the dank roadways, the huddled yet resilient groups of homeless, the bookstores, and the water that envelops, isolates each.

In short, Indian Killer is a masterpiece. Sherman Alexie brings the Indian, but leaves the human imprint on the reader. It's a tragedy that belongs within the realm of magical realism, though savoring the magic within his writing is supremely uplifting. ( )

This is Sherman Alexie at his darkest. A good mystery, written with much anger. The heart of the story focuses around the loss of identity (both in the context of the individual and on a much grander scale). The ending is heartbreaking as the reader is left feeling that there is no hope of resolution or understanding. ( )

Alexie, Sherman. Indian Killer. Warner Books, New York, 1996. Overall, a good tale. However, I was annoyed by the overtly political characters... too one-dimensional for my taste.