The Schwa Was Here, by Neal Shusterman

Presenting the winner, in 2024, of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: Neal Shusterman. Today’s reading is from The Schwa Was Here.

They say his clothes blend into the background, no matter where he stands. They say a lot of things about the Schwa, but one thing’s for sure: no one ever noticed him. Except me. My name is Antsy Bonano, and I was the one who realized the Schwa was “functionally invisible” and used him to make some big bucks. But I was also the one who caused him more grief than a friend should. So if you all just shut up and listen, I’ll tell you everything there is to know about the Schwa, from how he got his name, to what really happened with his mom. I’ll spill everything. Unless, of course, “the Schwa Effect” wipes him out of my brain before I’m done ...
https://youtu.be/eOTqrTVIWhM