Rating: 
Summary: Well written
Review: This author writes beautifully. Content is a fun story of some Indians forming a rock band, with introspective actions...fun and good.
Rating: 
Summary: a fairy tale
Review: I didn't enjoy this book at all. It began to go downhill -- steeply -- when the broken guitar repaired itself and then began to play itself.If you like reading fairy tales, then it may appeal. For me, it reads like the kind of experimental writing college kids are asked to write, or the kind of writing their profs write to show that they are different. Another example: A Fedex delivery person lands and leaves via the addressee's roof. Too much suspension of disbelief required, at least for me. For the record, the movie "Pow-Wow highway is one of my favorites. Mysticism appears there, as well, but artfully handled.
Rating: 
Summary: maybe Disturbing, maybe Brilliant, definitely Provoking
Review: Fictional(?) account of life on an Indian reservation in the Inland Northwest. Depressing story, thus "Reservation Blues" is a very appropriate title. Undoubtedly, reflects conditions - largely foreign to middle class America. Some say he is a brilliant storyteller. Some think his works are disturbing. The language can be filthy - but, unfortunately, many in society do use such language. Those who like Alexie may also like sordid daytime soap operas and trashy gossip mags - cheap thrills to spice up their otherwise drab lives - you know, titillating the PTA bookclub types. Alexie's poetry is definitely good. Even if you are put off by the story, you really have to admit that he can spin a tale (or Is it real?). However, sometimes the story seems to start to sound too familiar - you know, "Murder She Wrote" dejà vu like, but of course much more seedy ... and, unfortunately for Reservation dwellers (prisoners?), much closer to reality (the same old thing: Chief Not Much Hope). Maybe those who are repulsed by his writings feel guilty about their relatively blessed lives??? You gotta admit that Native Americans (Alexie prefers the term Indian) really did get a lousy deal. How about a FDR-like New Deal job program, at least to try to make a difference in their lives and partial, better late than never compensation? Not a handout. Not just feel good bleeding heart stuff so we can sleep smug at night ... Just give 'em a break. We can put men on the moon and precision bomb Bagdad, but we can't fix deplorable conditions that we caused? Would it really kill us to give back a fraction of the land we stole? How about removing a hydroelectric dam or two on the Elwha and the Skokomish? Jeez! (a favorite utterance of the characters in the book). I'm sorry, I somehow digressed from the book .... or maybe not!
Rating: 
Summary: A great tale of music world
Review: I enjoyed reading the book. The story started when Johnson Robert, a legendary blues artist which was presumed long dead, visited an indian reservation. He then transfered his talent to Thomas that became popular in blues world after. I was moved when one of the character commited suicide. The book ended happy but somewhat kinda open, that you'll end thinking what the real ending is.
Rating:
Summary: Well written and intelligent
Review: Having seen the movie Smoke Signals before reading this book, I was somewhat familiar with some of the characters and the situations. That didn't detract from the enjoyment of this fine piece of fiction. The mythical references flowed well with the reality (as I believe it) of life on reservations. The characters were unique but totally believeable, and Alexie did a seamless job of melding even the most over-the-top symbolism into the narrative. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Native American and music history as well as anyone who has a taste for engaging, intelligent fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Great story
Review: Sheman Alexie is one of the best writers out there.Enjoyed this book but was sad that someone would commit sucide.Waiting for more books by this gifted writer..
Rating:
Summary: Story of a Indian blues band.
Review: "Reservation Blues" is the mythical and musical story of Coyote Springs. Coyote Springs is an all-Indian Catholic rock-and-roll band. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is the lead singer, Victor Joseph is lead guitar, and Junior Polatkin is on drums with Chess and Checkers Warm water as back up vocals. Coyote Springs played at reservation bars, small town taverns, joints in Seattle and Manhattan. This is the story of their trials and tribulations. This book depicts life on the reservation and the actions of Indian men and Indian women. Some of their conversations, thoughts and actions are very amusing. Being a musician helpes to relate to some of the anxieties of playing music, which the band faced throughout the story. It is a very interesting and entertaining book.
Rating:
Summary: A great portrayal of the modern day native world
Review: I can understand why the reader from San Francisco would have a hard time with Reservation Blues, but that person has to remember that reservation life isn't all the glamour that the white media likes to portray, and most Indians don't see white people as their saviors. I thought the book was excellent and was a great fictionalized portrayal of modern day American Indians. They were actually portrayed as regular people, something that isn't done in books written by anglo authors. Through this book I could understand why some of the tension between white and red continues today. Hopefully someday all differences will be put aside, and white and red can live in harmony.
Rating: 
Summary: Silly plot, flat characters, disappointing
Review: I bought this book after hearing Alexie's "Phoenix Arizona" story read on the radio. That story was simply great and moving, but this novel was a big disappointment. The women characters were so flat, he couldn't even bother to give them real names (Chechers and Chess, Betty and Veronica!); the white characters were all pure evil; the plot, involving an all-Indian rock band inspired by Robert Johnson's guitar is very thin. (Johnson wanders in at the beginning and is forgotten nearly until the very end.) It was a quick read, at times Alexie is a very good writer (though I thought most of the dialogue was terrible), I liked learning about a different culture, and I like the two main characters, but overall I wouldn't recommend the book.
Rating:
Summary: Yah-hey, it's a good one
Review: A fast reading book is usually a shllow one, but that's not the case with Reservation Blues. Alexie weaves a musical tale of good, evil, magic, and change while giving the reader a rolling good time. I laughed out loud with Lester Falls-Apart and saw too many familiar faces in Junior. Stunning.
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