Invisible Boy

Holy not-so-micro-aggressions. Holy GASLIGHTING. Invisible Boy was incredibly difficult to read without weeping. Every time Harry’s mother or other family members gaslighted him I wanted to scoop him out of the pages of his past and take him far, far away to people who would love him as he is, for who he is, for what he is.

I cry for all the children, teenagers, people who are where he was right now.

For all its pain, I do not regret reading Invisible Boy… because the pain embedded in Harrison Mooney’s past is insidious, latently seething, and all too common still. Decolonization is an eternal task, its end is nowhere in sight. Memoirs and works like Invisible Boy remain relevant and necessary in our collective, societal process towards decolonization. Like Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks, Mooney’s Invisible Boy is a call to action. It is a reminder that we still need a rebellion of the mind and soul.

Invisible Boy relates the path of Mooney’s awakening to his race and the ways in which racism hides behind a myth of colorlessness. It begins with his childhood and ends in his early adulthood. His memoir exposes to the reader how racism seethes in the most intimate places, in the places it should not exist — in this case, within a family. Families are supposed to be safe. They are supposed to be supportive, loving, nurturing. Invisible Boy tells a sad tale of how racism is the silent reaper within, turning the sanctuary of the family into an emotional, mental prison.

What makes Mooney’s Invisible Boy unique from other works like it (Sam Selvon’s Lonely Londoners, George Lamming’s novels, Franz Fanon’s memoirs and works, James Baldwin’s calls to action, among others) is Mooney’s attention to a community that is little attended to: adoptees of color with white adopted families. As in Mixed-Race Superman, Will Harris’ essay on the transcultural ways of being mixed race, Invisible Boy highlights a different kind of process of decolonization that confronts adoptees of color in white families and white communities that hold onto racist beliefs.

I do not know if I can re-read Invisible Boy for the sake of my own peace as a person of color who has grappled with my own decolonization; but, I am glad I read it at least once and I am privileged to have the ability to choose to only read it once. I am privileged to have been given a rare glimpse into another’s experience of racial awakening. I am privileged that my own decolonization was less traumatic. In truth, Invisible Boy is a book that demands re-reading and reading again. One day I will summon enough courage to read it again.

Informative and insightful. An unforgettable coming-of-age memoir about a Black boy adopted into a white, Christian fundamentalist family

Mooney is a writer and a journalist who has worked for the Vancouver Sun for many years. This is hos memoir about growing up in a ultra religious family. Born to a black mother and a white father, he was adopted by a white family and was almost always the only black child around. He was indoctrinated by the family's religious dogma all the while they made no effort to deal with his obvious differences and the racism he dealt with. It was only as an adult that he finally became brave enough to both seek out his birth parents and question the things he had been taught. The story starts out slow, but soon becomes a fascinating look at transracial adoption, racism, and the world of extreme Christianity. It is a great recommendation for anyone interested in these issues.

This was an amazing read! Very beautifully written and a moving and deep story. It was at times hard to read about how mistreated the author was in an ignorant but inexcusable way. I wish there was more in the conclusion, perhaps what happened to the brother or where the author is now. I read the ARC so I didn’t get the acknowledgements or afterword of any kind. This is an important read. I feel as though many people often forget Canada’s history in racist discrimination and oppression. It was interesting to read this author point of view on interracial adoption and the negative drawbacks of religion.. I highly recommend this! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

An insightful and informative memoir that made me understand more. I enjoyed this read and will recommend it to others.

This is a poignant coming of age tale, which highlights the themes of race, identity, religion and mother-son relationships. It feels like a modern take on an American classic novel, ‘The invisible man’. It would make a good comparative study for literature students - and can provide interesting discussion points on race and identity in North America.

Wow. This was incredibly difficult read, but memoirs like these are so important.

Thank you to the author for sharing his story. It was heart-breaking and infuriating, and I know this will be one of those memoirs that sticks with me long after I've finished.

A very important read. Difficult at times to read but so worth it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

A hard hitting biography about racism, discrimination and how a young boys awareness of his past and how he fits into the world is influenced by those around him. It was a tough read, but an important one.

This book is truly shaking me to my core. The writing is fantastic. But that is not the reason I am so engrossed in this book. This story of Harrison is one that I relate to so much. I grew up in a household similar and a church almost exactly the same.
I think i feel very seen and know that my experience wasn't something singular