Unseen: A young boy searching for his identity, fighting for his independence

by K.C Poitras

Stacy is only four years old when his dad sends him back to America after taking him to New Zealand, without permission. A shy boy that speaks only to his dad, though his vocabulary is adequate for his age. Trapped in a family, he didn’t know. Stacy felt as if they were strangers. He struggles to fit in. His stepdad mistreats him. He didn’t know his biological Mother, nor remembered her, he was so young when his dad took him away. Terror and uncertainty reign over his days, and Stacy must learn to raise himself. As he ages, Stacy realizes he is tired of the anger that rules him and takes a stand for his well-being. Despite the struggles he faces in his home life, Stacy is blessed with a group of wonderful friends that support him and they become the genuine family his heart yearns to have. He embraces happiness; despite the pain he has endured in his young life.When Stacy’s estranged father returns, he once more finds his world turned upside down. The man he thought dead was back, and for the second time, he does not know where he belongs. Even with two families, he is unseen and neglected. Unseen is a heart-wrenching story of survival, faith, and finding the inner strength to fight for happiness against all odds. It will give hope to those who have been victims and let them know they are not defined by their circumstances and have the power to shape their destinies.

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2021

Reviews

[S.S. Saywack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unseen is a very moving book, charting our protagonist, Stacey’s life as he grows up with first physical, then verbally abusive stepfather. His mother’s alcoholism sets up the start of the story and is responsible for his parents splitting up. Stacey is taken by his father to New Zealand but returns to his mother and stepfather when he is four-year-old. The book charts his growing up in an abusive relationship, his stepfather, a martinet and bully, who gets angry at the trivial, and his subservient mother, are two particularly selfish people looking after him and his elder siblings. As he grows he discovers coping mechanisms to help him survive, including self-abuse, buying, acting the class clown and sullen silence. Soon he discovers the truth, that his family is not like the family of others or that of his best friend. When his mother and stepfather have children of their own, he finds he and his siblings sidelined, yet the abuse continues. He grows physically strong until there comes a time when he can confront his stepfather. The book has a stark message and is especially relevant in this day and age where one of the effects of COVID has been a rise in child cruelty. It doesn’t seek to explain the stepfather’s actions, merely documents them, and ends on a sour note, that eventually his mother becomes no different than his stepfather. At the back of the book are the contact details of the various child abuse helpline in the United States. It’s a difficult book to read in many ways and not feel angry that such things happen. It is a recommended read.

[KL Cassanello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Stacy's story. He has no stability in his life, shuffled from dad to mom after their divorce, and then abused at the hand of his alcoholic mother's new fiance/husband. When he's not being abused, he's forgotten. When I read an advance copy of a book, I generally ignore random editing/proofing errors, knowing that I may not be reading a final copy. This book is in need of some editing for punctuation, wrong words, and sentence structure. The story is a bit choppy, and doesn't always flow well. However, I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. I loved the book, even as it broke my heart to read about this precious little boy being abused, and the survival skills he developed to navigate his dysfunctional family. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a moving & very emotional read for me. And a new author. I got a copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my review.