Invisible Son

Content Warning: This section refers to child abuse.

The novel opens on February 27, 2020, with Andre Jackson narrating that living in a predominantly Black block in a predominantly white city like Portland has meant that he and his community are ignored, which used to bother him. Now, however, he doesn’t mind the feeling of being unseen, particularly because he is no longer in the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility.

He is in the car with his juvenile court officer, Marcus. Even though he is no longer in juvenile detention, he is still being monitored. Marcus thinks that Andre’s lucky to be out, but Andre feels overwhelmed by how he even went to juvie in the first place. Andre is moving in with his grandparents and is worried about what they’ll think of him now, even though he’s lived on and off with them his whole life.

They pass Andre’s father’s bookshop, which is decorated for Black History Month, and then arrive at his grandparents’ house. His grandmother hugs him, and he notices that she’s wearing plastic gloves. She says it’s because Oregon has had its first coronavirus case, and Andre feels like she’s being paranoid.

Marcus goes over the rules. He explains that Andre is part of the Community Monitoring Program for Multnomah County Juvenile Justice, a restorative justice program.