THE FAMILY I'M IN

A Black teen perseveres in his search for love and acceptance despite insecurities and a strained paternal relationship.

John “John-John” McIntyre is looking forward to attending junior prom with Ashley, the cute girl from his book club, and to a chill summer practicing archery, playing video games, and hanging with friends. But things aren’t going his way. His relationship with Ashley is off to a slow start. His best friend, Caleb, is busy working at his lawn-mowing business, helping to support his family while his dad recovers from an aneurysm. And John-John’s dad seems determined to remind him of how he’s failed to live up to expectations. John-John just wants to figure out who he should be. But to do so he must face his anger and hurt towards his dad, grapple with his feelings of inadequacy about being short and dark-skinned, and reckon with societal messages around masculinity. This companion novel to The Skin I’m In (1998) and The Life I’m In (2021) reunites fans with beloved characters, including Maleeka, Charlese, and Miss Saunders. Readers will find much to appreciate about John-John’s meandering journey, which doesn’t spell out lessons but trusts them to reflect independently. John-John’s central relationships are well developed and poignantly described, and Flake renders his growing pains on the road to maturity in an authentic and accessible voice that will make readers root for him.

A thought-provoking portrayal of growing up and defining yourself as a young man.