e-ALC, 17:47:41
Narrated by: January LaVoy
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Published by: Books on Tape
Read from: February 26-28, 2026
Stand-alone
Source: PRH Audio App (I received this ALC free from the publisher and their app. This did nothing to influence my review!)
Content Warning: Racial Slurs, Racism, Addiction, Homophobia, Torture, Bullying, Car Accident
For Readers Interested In: Audio, Historical Fiction, Sparkly Covers, Most Anticipation, Music, Paranormal, Racial/Ethnic DiversityA 1960s boy band determined to conquer the music world must contend with the cost of fame—and a ghost with a grisly past—in this riveting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Black Kids.
Odysseus Johnson dreams of musical stardom for his three Roman, the rebel, more interested in being a teenager than a performer; Rocco, arguably the most talented of the bunch, but different in a way the world doesn’t understand; and dutiful River, the youngest, who dreams of fame just like his dad.
Driving back from another failed audition in Detroit, the Johnson boys come upon the ghost of Christmas Jones the Third, an ebullient, if lonely, young Black orphan who carries the scars of a horrific past as a minstrel sensation. Desperate for family, Christmas begs the Johnsons to bring him home with them. When Odysseus refuses, Christmas stows away in the family Cadillac. Despite their initial horror, Christmas becomes a part of the Johnson family.
With the promise of opportunities in California, Odysseus moves the family out west, and the boys’ talent starts getting noticed. But just as the brothers are finally on the cusp of fame, Christmas commits a violent act that wreaks havoc on the Johnsons’ lives and the family is torn asunder in the aftermath. Roman flees the country. Rocco is institutionalized. River’s solo star rises. Christmas disappears.
Spanning decades, roving from the rapacious music industry and the ravages of Vietnam to the dark corridors of a mental institution and the very planes of the afterlife, The Johnson Four is epic in scope. And at its beating heart is the unforgettable story of a family trying to find their way back to one another.
*MY THOUGHTS*
When I saw the title of this I immediately added it to my TBR. The title alongside the cover made me immediately think of The Jackson Five. But never in my wildest dreams did I think that there was a connection there. But as it turns out….. It was.
Ok so the plot of this was cute! I loved looking for some of the similarities of those that I know from the Jackson Five story. I also loved the ghost and learning his story along the way. I wasn’t expecting it to go through the entire family tho. I think that’s where it didn’t work for me. I didn’t care about half the things they did because they weren’t in the group. And the things they were doing to their kids was sad to see, so their POVs just made me mad all the time.
I think the execution was what did it for me. It was so long because all of the different POVs. And it was so weird with the parents POV. So during those times I had to keep replaying them because I was weirded out or tuning them out. I would have given them less chapters or mixed their info in with someone else. And I also think this book spanned too much time. There was so much to go over, I found myself getting bored a little bit in some places.
The ghost thing was interesting tho. I never would have thought to do something like that. And to make sure that he wasn’t around all the time and had his own story where he was traveling the world and stuff was pretty cool. I also really liked the ending. I thought it was sweet and ended in the best possible way.
This was the weirdest book I’ve read in a long time. Not what I was expecting at all, and I’m a huge J5 fan. This was an interesting look at a musical group that got together so young, as well as their ghost. If you’re thinking wtf, do me a favor and just try it. I need to know what you think because clearly I’m still on the fence with how I feel lol
Overall, I give this
