Invisible Son by Kim Johnson

             Invisible Son by Kim Johnson. Random House, 2023. 9780593482100
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Realistic fiction/ Mystery
What did you like about the book? 17-year-old Andre found himself convicted of a crime he didn’t commit by not ratting out his friend, Eric. He has spent two months in detention but has been released to do six months of community service while wearing an ankle bracelet, adhering to strict curfews and being closely monitored by his probation officer. He is determined to find out just how and why he was set up to take the fall, which turns out to be very complicated.  He is living with his grandparents whose house is across from the Whitakers, where Eric lived before he disappeared.  Eric and his sister Sierra, Black like Andre, were adopted by the Whitakers, who are White, along with Luis, a younger Hispanic boy, when his parents were deported.  There are also two biological children, Brian and Kate, both teens. It is February 2020; the COVID pandemic is just beginning. Andre’s grandfather and father contract the disease, with his grandfather being hospitalized.  Andre’s mom is an emergency room nurse and, as such, she chooses to live separately to protect the family.  Andre and Sierra also contract the illness.
This is a complicated story with a lot happening at once.  Andre is trying to find the truth of his incarceration, dealing with the death of his grandfather, battling COVID, searching for Eric and developing a romantic relationship with Sierra.  Add in the murder of George Floyd and the protests that ensued in Portland, Oregon, where the story takes place.  There is a lot of mystery surrounding the Whitaker parents whom Andre is convinced are not all they seem but are hiding the truth about Eric’s disappearance and much more. Racial inequalities are in the forefront providing more than a backdrop for the story.  Characterizations for all characters are strong even with somewhat minor ones.
Anything you did not like about the book? No.
To whom would you recommend this book? Read-a-likes would be The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas and Bronxwood by Coe Booth.
Who should buy this book? Public and high school libraries
Where would you shelve it? YA fiction
Should we (librarians) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Near the top
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City: Katrina Yurenka, Retired Librarian, Contributor, Youth Services Book Review
Date of Review:  June 27, 2023