Jojo

One of three main narrators, Jojo is 13 at the start of the novel. Jojo is eager to prove his maturity to Pap, his grandfather, and takes on the outsize responsibility of caring for his little sister because his mother will not. Jojo is a character on the cusp of coming of age in the midst of his mother's addiction, the death of his grandmother—an important maternal figure in his life—,and the reintroduction of Michael, his white father. The most important challenges for Jojo are understanding his powers and navigating relationships with adults in his life.

Like his mother and grandmother, Jojo has some of the gift that allows him to see the dead and also has a special sensitivity that allows him to communicate with animals. The gift both complicates his life and helps him survive. His ability to see the dead is crucial to the...