All My Friends Are Invisible: the inspirational childhood memoir

Product Information

I always knew Jonathan was suffering but the fact he has let us into his world and opened the box for us is incredibly brave and I’m so proud of him for finding that courage. I did not know much about the author but can see that he is part of a YouTube channel which documents his family life.

He shows the beautiful world he retreated to time and time again when life was unbearable for his 'skin machine'. He reveals that he played with girls' toys, thought of himself as a girl and was bullied for his non-conforming gender identity in school. Firstly, the opening chapter really grabbed me and I had high hopes but then it seemed to just change from there, with no warning. There are also points in the book where the writing changes tense and then flips back with no warning.This extraordinary childhood memoir is not only an important, thought-provoking and exhilarating read, it gives hope and community for all those who have ever felt 'other', and proves how vital it is to provide children with the safe space to be themselves.

I'm not the fastest or best reader but I managed it in about 3 hours because its written in such a way that its easy to read so don't be put off if you struggle with reading! Traumatic memories are, by their nature, deeply harmful and traumatic and the human brain usually represses these memories. In fairness, growing up working class myself, it seems far more extravagant that my own life and yet I'm not narcissistic enough to think anybody would care about my life. Born in Dublin, Jonathan is a gifted filmmaker and storyteller, and is dedicated to making the lives of others better, particularly those who feel misunderstood or alone in the world.

I feel bad rating this book as I did, as it was clearly the heartfelt words of somebody, but I'll explain why. Escapism for children into fantastical worlds is often thought of for only the youth, but in reality we all do from time to time in some form.