Invisible Son

Content Warning: This section discusses child abuse, racism, police brutality, murder, the death of a loved one, and attempted death by suicide.

Andre is the 17-year-old protagonist of Invisible Son. At the start of the novel, he begins living full-time with his grandparents in Albina, a historical Black neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, after spending two months in a juvenile detention center. Before the novel begins, he was accused of stealing while at a New Year’s Eve party and was arrested when a bag of stolen items was found in his locker. Over the course of the novel, Andre learns more about the importance of his voice, despite American society’s attempts to silence Black and Brown citizens, especially those returning from incarceration.

When Andre returns home from juvie, he is worried that his family members might regard him differently. While his family is mostly loving and supportive, he is shocked to find out how many people believed that he was guilty, especially his friend and crush, Sierra Whitaker. He hates the impact that his arrest has had on his family, and going through the criminal justice system has had an indelible effect on Andre. At the start of the novel, he narrates, “I know I’m wallowing in my situation, which isn’t like me.