My Invisible Father

My Invisible Father by Jaer Armstead-Jones
Narrator: Torian Brackett, Kim Bonny, Ben Hauck
Published by Pro Audio Voices, BookBaby on July 16, 2021
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / General
Length: 6 hours 34 minutes
Pages: 244
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
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Set in one of the roughest neighborhoods in the city of St. Louis, Jayrin Foster grapples with the absence of his father, while Kamree Covington copes with her own struggles as her father serves time in prison. Aceson Denner, residing in a more affluent neighborhood, faces a different challenge – his father's emotional detachment. As these teenagers navigate the turbulent waters of adolescence, the void left by their fathers becomes an insurmountable hurdle. Jayrin's entanglement with a local drug dealer jeopardizes his academic pursuits, places his life at risk, and strains his longstanding friendship with Kamree. Kamree, in pursuit of an ideal and perfect world, confronts her own imperfections through self-reflection. Meanwhile, Aceson's explosive temper and social awkwardness lead to isolation in his school. Through the authentic voices of these compelling characters, the harsh reality of socio-economic challenges confronting today's youth unfolds. As they grapple with loneliness, poverty, drugs, and violence, and develop racial awareness, their separate journeys unexpectedly intertwine. The resulting tapestry weaves a narrative of tragedy, awakening, and the potential for redemption.

This was really good! I love it when a book surprises me, and this one did exactly that. I tend to enjoy reading books set in my hometown, so I was excited to pick up this book featuring three teens in St. Louis. I was quickly drawn into the lives of these three teens and invested in seeing things work out for all of them.

Jayrin wants to make some money and falls in with the wrong crowd to make it happen. At a point, he wants to get out but his situation seems to spiral making this almost impossible. Kamree liked Jayrin but isn’t interested in getting involved with anyone participating in illegal activities. She has already lost her dad to prison and doesn’t want to deal with losing anyone else on that path. Aceson lives in a wealthier part of the city, but his life isn’t exactly happy. He doesn’t seem to be able to make his parents happy, especially his father, and he has no friends.

Torian Brackett, Kim Bonny, and Ben Hauck did an excellent job narrating this book. The story is told from three different points of view, and each narrator is responsible for voicing one point of view. This made it very easy to identify the changes in perspective. I found all three voices to be pleasant and thought that they complimented each other well. I like that the narrators were able to add just the right amount of emotion to their reading to fully bring the story to life. I feel that their performance added to my overall enjoyment.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. I was quickly invested in the lives of these three teens. I wanted to see them make choices that would lead to positive outcomes and it pained me when they found themselves in trouble. I was surprised by some of the events in the story and appreciated how everything pulled together in the end. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.

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