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Jackson Alone
Not yet published
Expected 6 Jan 26Four Black Japanese gay men team up to exact revenge in a culture where discrimination is deep-seated. A searing, darkly funny debut from the Akutagawa Prize–winning author.
Nobody at the corporate offices of Athletius Japan knows much about the massage therapist, Jackson—but rumors abound. He used to work as a model. He likes to party. He’s mixed race—half-Japanese, half-somewhere-in-Africa-n. He might be gay. Fueling the gossip is the sudden appearance of a violent pornographic video featuring a man who looks like a lot like Jackson.
When Jackson serendipitously meets three other queer mixed-race guys, he learns he’s not the only one being targeted. Together they concoct a find out who’s responsible and, in the meantime, switch identities and play tricks on people—a boyfriend, a boss—who’ve wronged them, exploiting the fact that nobody can seem to tell them apart.
A short, blistering gut punch of a novel, Jackson Alone is at turns satirical and deadpan, angry and tender—a frank exploration of identity, race, and queerness in contemporary Japan that announces Jose Ando as a singular new talent in the global literary scene.
Nobody at the corporate offices of Athletius Japan knows much about the massage therapist, Jackson—but rumors abound. He used to work as a model. He likes to party. He’s mixed race—half-Japanese, half-somewhere-in-Africa-n. He might be gay. Fueling the gossip is the sudden appearance of a violent pornographic video featuring a man who looks like a lot like Jackson.
When Jackson serendipitously meets three other queer mixed-race guys, he learns he’s not the only one being targeted. Together they concoct a find out who’s responsible and, in the meantime, switch identities and play tricks on people—a boyfriend, a boss—who’ve wronged them, exploiting the fact that nobody can seem to tell them apart.
A short, blistering gut punch of a novel, Jackson Alone is at turns satirical and deadpan, angry and tender—a frank exploration of identity, race, and queerness in contemporary Japan that announces Jose Ando as a singular new talent in the global literary scene.
160 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 6, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 5, 2025
2.5 pomysł na pewno nietypowy i zaczęło się dziwnie, ale dobrze. No ale niestety im dalej, tym gorzej, a końcówka to w ogóle było jedno wielkie wtf, i didn’t get it?
January 30, 2023
Books that jump out at me on a hunch are usually interesting. This book is no exception, and is by far the best novel I have read in recent months.
The main character is Jackson, a gay man who is a mix of African and Japanese. At work, he learns that a pornographic video of someone who looks like him is circulating. He has no memory of when he was filmed. No, he think he has a faint memory of it.
By chance, Jackson meets three mixed gay men. The four, who have similar facial features, band together to find the source of the video. At the same time, they impersonate each other and play a little prank on each other. They have similar skin color, eyes and noses. They take small revenge on those who judge them by their appearance.
While it's a scintillating read, we are also reminded that the Jacksons are perceived as "one person" rather than four. Four people with different personalities and personal lives. But the only thing that people remember about them is that they are mixed men.
The story draws you in. The writing is refined and clear. The descriptions are straightforward, the conversations are sharp, and the expressions of feelings and subtleties of the heart when exposed to the gaze of others are very good.
This book is the debut novel of Jose Ando, himself a mix. I look forward to following this promising newcomer in the future.
The main character is Jackson, a gay man who is a mix of African and Japanese. At work, he learns that a pornographic video of someone who looks like him is circulating. He has no memory of when he was filmed. No, he think he has a faint memory of it.
By chance, Jackson meets three mixed gay men. The four, who have similar facial features, band together to find the source of the video. At the same time, they impersonate each other and play a little prank on each other. They have similar skin color, eyes and noses. They take small revenge on those who judge them by their appearance.
While it's a scintillating read, we are also reminded that the Jacksons are perceived as "one person" rather than four. Four people with different personalities and personal lives. But the only thing that people remember about them is that they are mixed men.
The story draws you in. The writing is refined and clear. The descriptions are straightforward, the conversations are sharp, and the expressions of feelings and subtleties of the heart when exposed to the gaze of others are very good.
This book is the debut novel of Jose Ando, himself a mix. I look forward to following this promising newcomer in the future.
September 21, 2025
This book is kind of a mess. It starts and aborts many ideas and several plots in a half-hearted way, all culminating in an act of violence that’s poorly described and only thematically related to the rest of the book. The premise as described is baaaaaaarely followed through on. I did enjoy the disaffected narration and some of the things it had to say about race and queerness (and often more so, racism and homophobia) in Japan. Still the whole thing was kind of like why are we here what’s the plan mouthing off and not writing a second draft. But the translation had some energy to it, and hey, it was quick!
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September 23, 2025This made no sense at all, I'm sorry to say. Which is a shame, as I requested it from Netgalley expecting something more along Yigit Karaahmet's Summerhouse (also published by Soho Crime). Thankfully, it was a rather quick read.
January 4, 2024
le principe de l'histoire donnait grave envie mais l'écriture est trop fouillie, j'étais perdue tout le long du livre :/ on se perd dans les personnages et dans l'intérêt de l'histoire
November 16, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK/Footnote Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
This novel was so promising to begin with. It opens with Jackson, a massage therapist for a sports company who, in his professional and personal life, experiences prejudice about his race and sexuality. He is shocked when his colleagues discover an explicit video featuring a man that looks very similar to him. In search of answers, he meets three other men of similar appearance, who are all also gay and mixed-race. Realising its exploitable potential, they plan to float between each other’s identities and thereby both find the culprit and seek revenge upon others that have wronged them.
At first, we are delivered exactly what we are promised, which is a biting commentary on being Black in modern Japan. Having the four perspectives meant getting an insight into their separate experiences and opinions, while their physical similarity parodies the racist assumption that ‘they all look the same’. Ando manages a level of distinct characterisation that is impressive for such a short novel. I also enjoyed the switching of points of view, which meant the reader got to see events and characters from both a personal and outsider’s perspective.
But, along the way, something went wrong. From around 75% through, I (and, judging from reviews, a lot of other readers) lost understanding of what was going on, or what it signified. What I felt was a novel rooted in reality descended into surrealism which failed to justify itself. As I finished reading, I was confused and unsure what I was meant to take from it. Had the pace of the beginning continued, though, this could be a near perfect novel—it’s just a shame that none of those ideas followed through.
This novel was so promising to begin with. It opens with Jackson, a massage therapist for a sports company who, in his professional and personal life, experiences prejudice about his race and sexuality. He is shocked when his colleagues discover an explicit video featuring a man that looks very similar to him. In search of answers, he meets three other men of similar appearance, who are all also gay and mixed-race. Realising its exploitable potential, they plan to float between each other’s identities and thereby both find the culprit and seek revenge upon others that have wronged them.
At first, we are delivered exactly what we are promised, which is a biting commentary on being Black in modern Japan. Having the four perspectives meant getting an insight into their separate experiences and opinions, while their physical similarity parodies the racist assumption that ‘they all look the same’. Ando manages a level of distinct characterisation that is impressive for such a short novel. I also enjoyed the switching of points of view, which meant the reader got to see events and characters from both a personal and outsider’s perspective.
But, along the way, something went wrong. From around 75% through, I (and, judging from reviews, a lot of other readers) lost understanding of what was going on, or what it signified. What I felt was a novel rooted in reality descended into surrealism which failed to justify itself. As I finished reading, I was confused and unsure what I was meant to take from it. Had the pace of the beginning continued, though, this could be a near perfect novel—it’s just a shame that none of those ideas followed through.
December 9, 2024
4,5
Très agréable surprise. Un roman sur le racisme que subissent les métis noirs/asiatiques au Japon. Si on rajoute à métis et à noir le fait d'être un homme gay, et on a la totale en terme d'oppressions systématiques. L'auteur lui-même métis et probablement gay connaît son sujet.
Une demi-étoile perdue parce que j'ai pas du tout compris ce qu'il essayait de dire avec la scène finale. Elle est beaucoup trop courte et il s'y passe beaucoup trop de trucs pour arriver à démêler tout ce que l'auteur y a empaqueté.
Le seul point vraiment négatif, c'est qu'il n'y pas un seul personnage féminin dans tout le livre. Même pas un tout petit.
Très agréable surprise. Un roman sur le racisme que subissent les métis noirs/asiatiques au Japon. Si on rajoute à métis et à noir le fait d'être un homme gay, et on a la totale en terme d'oppressions systématiques. L'auteur lui-même métis et probablement gay connaît son sujet.
Une demi-étoile perdue parce que j'ai pas du tout compris ce qu'il essayait de dire avec la scène finale. Elle est beaucoup trop courte et il s'y passe beaucoup trop de trucs pour arriver à démêler tout ce que l'auteur y a empaqueté.
Le seul point vraiment négatif, c'est qu'il n'y pas un seul personnage féminin dans tout le livre. Même pas un tout petit.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is definitely a beguiling novella, that’s for sure. It managed to say a whole lot about racism, classism, cultural appropriation, the surveillance state, social power & status, celebrity, and queer identity in contemporary Japan, among other things. These sociological observations were abundant but subtle, presented as quotidian and the narrative didn’t remark on them. The whole concept of the story hinges on the interchangeability of Black men, even by those who lust for their bodies. Everything is presented to an almost exaggerated degree, and parts of this story are dark satire, but that is mixed with a detached naturalism that makes the whole thing hard to categorize. It certainly engendered reflection on the intersectionality of these issues and more, without ever once feeling didactic, self-righteous, or scolding. That made this is constantly intriguing and engaging read.
I say it is beguiling though because these observations are done in the midst of a threadbare narrative, which I suppose isn’t uncommon in farces or satires but contrasted with the detached, naturalistic tone much of the narrative adopted. We have an intimate third-person and yet there still feels like an observational distance, not because we don’t have access to the characters’ thoughts but because their emotional landscape is reserved and not as wildly expressive as parts of the story would imply they should be. There is some head-hopping, which is to say switching POV across characters within a single page without any clear narrative delineation, and it had an interesting effect here. Generally excessive head-hopping just feels like amateur writing, without the narrative clues to direct the reader to where they should be, but here it felt very intentional and it aligned with some of the themes of the story. These characters are individuals but they also are porous, confused for one another even by the narrator, seemingly, and it helped create a level of surreality and distance that set the tone for the story.
The nature of the story meant the characters didn’t feel particularly well-rounded, each had a distinct history but that was just kind of explained to the reader, we didn’t come to understand them through their emotional experiences, they didn’t have inner story arcs, and they almost felt disposable. This made sense for the story being told but it made it hard for me to care about any of them, much less try to follow the logic in the narrative action. It all lent to a detached, observational style that was more performative than inviting. The writing itself felt direct, with short, declarative sentences that almost felt clinical. This kept the story moving quickly and tended to highlight the absurdity of what was happening. It is smart for this to be novella length, because it can sustain its level of weirdness and ambiguity for that long without feeling stretched thin, but it does come at the expense of a meaningful or emotionally resonant plot. Instead it almost reads like a number of interconnected tableaus stitched together.
I definitely enjoyed reading this. It feels confident in its style and decisions, and does a great job of creating opportunity for reflection. I do wish there had been more substance to the characters, and I would have liked there to be either clearer inner journeys happening or a more robust narrative plot, something to hook my attention a little more concretely. It does read really quickly and will leave you scratching your head, if nothing else, as you think about race, identity, and power.
I want to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I say it is beguiling though because these observations are done in the midst of a threadbare narrative, which I suppose isn’t uncommon in farces or satires but contrasted with the detached, naturalistic tone much of the narrative adopted. We have an intimate third-person and yet there still feels like an observational distance, not because we don’t have access to the characters’ thoughts but because their emotional landscape is reserved and not as wildly expressive as parts of the story would imply they should be. There is some head-hopping, which is to say switching POV across characters within a single page without any clear narrative delineation, and it had an interesting effect here. Generally excessive head-hopping just feels like amateur writing, without the narrative clues to direct the reader to where they should be, but here it felt very intentional and it aligned with some of the themes of the story. These characters are individuals but they also are porous, confused for one another even by the narrator, seemingly, and it helped create a level of surreality and distance that set the tone for the story.
The nature of the story meant the characters didn’t feel particularly well-rounded, each had a distinct history but that was just kind of explained to the reader, we didn’t come to understand them through their emotional experiences, they didn’t have inner story arcs, and they almost felt disposable. This made sense for the story being told but it made it hard for me to care about any of them, much less try to follow the logic in the narrative action. It all lent to a detached, observational style that was more performative than inviting. The writing itself felt direct, with short, declarative sentences that almost felt clinical. This kept the story moving quickly and tended to highlight the absurdity of what was happening. It is smart for this to be novella length, because it can sustain its level of weirdness and ambiguity for that long without feeling stretched thin, but it does come at the expense of a meaningful or emotionally resonant plot. Instead it almost reads like a number of interconnected tableaus stitched together.
I definitely enjoyed reading this. It feels confident in its style and decisions, and does a great job of creating opportunity for reflection. I do wish there had been more substance to the characters, and I would have liked there to be either clearer inner journeys happening or a more robust narrative plot, something to hook my attention a little more concretely. It does read really quickly and will leave you scratching your head, if nothing else, as you think about race, identity, and power.
I want to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 17, 2025
Four Black Japanese, gay men are brought together when they are blackmailed with an explicit video. The video might be of one of them, it might be of someone completely different, but in a society that has decided they look the same, does it matter?
This book delves into the intersection of racism and homophobia, exploring the microaggression and abuse the four encounter constantly. As they grow closer in their search for answers about the video, they realize that if people can’t tell them apart, they can use that to pull pranks on the shitty people in their lives. As they start switching names and clothes, there are times when it becomes difficult to tell which character we’re actually following. POVs change mid-paragraph, and with a switch of a jacket, we realize that who we thought was one character was someone else the whole time.
There’s also moments when we slip into the POVs of some of the casually racist, abusive men that surround the four, and it’s pretty vile. It adds another layer of understanding to what the four deal with on a daily basis.
The ending is something else- I need more people to read this so I can get more people’s takes on it. This is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I thought it was fascinating. I can’t wait to read more from Jose Ando.
Thanks to netgalley and Soho Press for a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book delves into the intersection of racism and homophobia, exploring the microaggression and abuse the four encounter constantly. As they grow closer in their search for answers about the video, they realize that if people can’t tell them apart, they can use that to pull pranks on the shitty people in their lives. As they start switching names and clothes, there are times when it becomes difficult to tell which character we’re actually following. POVs change mid-paragraph, and with a switch of a jacket, we realize that who we thought was one character was someone else the whole time.
There’s also moments when we slip into the POVs of some of the casually racist, abusive men that surround the four, and it’s pretty vile. It adds another layer of understanding to what the four deal with on a daily basis.
The ending is something else- I need more people to read this so I can get more people’s takes on it. This is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I thought it was fascinating. I can’t wait to read more from Jose Ando.
Thanks to netgalley and Soho Press for a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2025
Jackson Alone is a short novel about a group of queer mixed race men in Japan who realise that people can't really tell them apart. Jackson works at Athletius Japan as a massage therapist, but when a porn video circulates at work that looks like him, he finds himself the centre of attention. But then he meets three other guys who look like him and the guy in the video, and in their quest to find out who is responsible, they realise they might be able to help each other out.
This book has a fantastic concept and there's some sections that really cut into contemporary Japanese culture and the treatment of people seen as other. The plot feels like a film as it cuts quickly between scenes and doesn't linger too long at any point. I did find that it was confusing at times in the way it jumped between plot moments without giving them time to make an impact, though some of the disorientation fits with the actual issues in the novel (like the fact that Jackson himself disappears into the book by the end, not as central as the title suggestions).
This book has a fantastic concept and there's some sections that really cut into contemporary Japanese culture and the treatment of people seen as other. The plot feels like a film as it cuts quickly between scenes and doesn't linger too long at any point. I did find that it was confusing at times in the way it jumped between plot moments without giving them time to make an impact, though some of the disorientation fits with the actual issues in the novel (like the fact that Jackson himself disappears into the book by the end, not as central as the title suggestions).
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!
This was a very, very interesting look into the racial discrimination in a country that’s not the US, something I don’t see often. I did find myself quite confused with the changing of POVs, mainly with how it’s relevant to the story and then when finding out its relevance, it switched to a new POV. However, it was seamless in a way that I have to admit i was impressed by. Although it confused me, it was still very well done.
The story itself was a bit hard to follow, and the ending a bit confusing. However, I can admit there’s a large chance that it’s due to my lack of cultural knowledge. All in all, this novella kept my attention well and I was very curious as to what would happen.
December 27, 2025
I am not sure where to start. I listened to this book and the narration was great. This story touches on very important and painful topics. The author doesn’t sugarcoat what our MMC(s) are going through. This story is refreshing and important. However toward the ending I got confused I am not sure what was happing or how I was supposed to understand the ending. Maybe it would had helped if the author elaborated on the relevance, importance and role of the final scenes. It feels that could have put the whole story and its importance together. Unfortunately as it is now it doesn’t do that at all for me. Which was disappointing.
November 24, 2025
Describing what happens in this book makes it sound good and somehow none of it works at all. Still, entertained and intrigued. So confused as to what Jose Ando intended this book to convey. Read it in a single evening so I'm not even mad about wasted time. Some of this is great insight into what racial profiling and perception is like in Japan, some of this is actual gibberish. Weird. Kinda would recommend just to talk to someone about the stupid ass ending.
December 5, 2025
This made no sense at all??? I initially liked Jackson’s chapter and wanted to know more about the video that was shared. However it quickly spiralled into the most confusing plot with no real explanation as to why anything had happened. Too much going on and not nearly enough explanation.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #JacksonAlone #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #JacksonAlone #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
the broad strokes of the plot are very interesting but when you get down to the level of actually reading it it doesn't actually quite fit together. 2.5, rounded up. tysm for the arc.
October 30, 2025
La promesse était tellement intrigante, le racisme et l’homophobie au Japon étant tellement peu mentionnés. Mais l’écriture est fouillie, brouillon, l’histoire part dans tous les sens, on finit par se perdre dans les personnages, dans les événements. On ne s’attache à personne, malgré des tentatives vaines de la part de l’auteur. L’histoire fini par devenir absolument irréaliste, le racisme mentionné qu’en surface, l’homosexualité dépeinte comme le théâtre de jeux sexuels totalement malsains et sado-maso (je ne pense pas que cela fasse du bien à la communauté du tout). La fin n’a pas de sens, pardon. On s’attend à plus, ou à moins pour être honnête. Une fin comme celle ci n’était franchement pas nécessaire et n’a fait que contribuer à l’irréalisme de l’histoire.
December 28, 2025
I read this in the original Japanese. As some reviewers have mentioned, it has some flaws (imo the biggies are )
However, the strength and freshness outweigh the flaws. I’ve never read the issue of micro aggression written so well. Those who think it’s not discrimination until someone gets injured would totally miss the point. Yes, this thin book challenges your sensitivity.
However, the strength and freshness outweigh the flaws. I’ve never read the issue of micro aggression written so well. Those who think it’s not discrimination until someone gets injured would totally miss the point. Yes, this thin book challenges your sensitivity.
December 1, 2024
Juste parce que j'aime pas mettre 1 étoile mais franchement... wtf?
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