Book Spotlight: The Purpose of Life by Jason Hershey
Today I am bringing you a book spotlight for the upcoming novella The Purpose of Life by Jason Hershey. This is the third novella in the Thelonious Mitchell series. This one comes out May 26th and I will be reading and reviewing it very soon! My goal is to read and review it this month and I still have time! Plus, I have an extra day off this weekend thanks to Memorial Day here in the US. I reviewed the first two novellas in the series this week. The reviews are linked below.
If you are intrigued by these novellas, go ahead and buy a copy or even pre-order and ‘meet’ a new-to-you author! You can’t loose as these are not long stories! And Even Better: The first two in the series are currently FREE on Kindle! That’s right: They are FREE through May 25th! Pick up a copy as you have NOTHING to lose!
About The Purpose of Life
Author: Jason Hershey
To Be Published: May 26, 2026
134 pages
Book Description:
One traffic stop. One moment of injustice. One man’s struggle to remain whole.
Thelonious “Theo” Mitchell has spent his young life overcoming tragedy—losing his mother to addiction, watching his best friend die in the streets, and fighting to escape the zip code that tried to define him. Now a college student and youth counselor, Theo has finally found his purpose: helping at-risk kids believe in a future beyond their circumstances.
But on an ordinary evening drive home from work, a routine traffic stop shatters everything Theo has built. Officer Kowalski’s handcuffs are too tight, his questions too probing, his assumptions too dangerous. And though Theo has done nothing wrong, he learns a brutal lesson: sometimes being Black in America is reason enough to be guilty.
In the aftermath, Theo finds himself unraveling. The anger he’s spent years controlling breaks through at the worst possible moment—in front of the very children who need him most. Suspended from the job that gave his life meaning, haunted by sleepless nights and a voice in his head that won’t stop saying “son,” Theo must confront an impossible question: How do you teach kids to trust a system that has just proven itself untrustworthy?
The Purpose of Life is a raw, unflinching exploration of trauma, resilience, and the weight of carrying other people’s burdens when you’re barely holding your own together. Ultimately, it’s about finding the courage to heal—not just for yourself, but for the children watching to see if broken things can ever be made whole again.
For readers who loved The Hate U Give, Long Way Down, and All American Boys—a powerful story about surviving injustice and learning that asking for help is the bravest thing you can do.
Pre-order Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Buy the rest of the series here:
Amazon
Amazon UK
To Live To Die at Barnes & Noble
The Chosen Path at Barnes and Noble
Previous novellas in the series and my reviews:
To Live To Die: 5 stars
The Chosen Path: 4 stars (I love this cover!)
About the Author:
Jason Hershey is a high school English teacher and author who draws inspiration from his experiences growing up in the inner city of South Phoenix, Arizona. His books explore themes of resilience, identity, and personal transformation, connecting deeply with young adult readers through authentic storytelling.
Contact Jason:
Website
Instagram @authorjasonhershey