Sing, Unburied, Sing

It is through Jojo's relationships with those around him that we see the true pains of growing up in a neglectful household with few people on your side. Pop is the only one raising and looking out for Jojo as Mam is sick and Leonie is too busy getting high and worrying about Michael. Jojo is often left to care for himself and his sister which is not supposed to be the primary job of a tween. Not having the love and support of his paternal grandparents also shows how stuck Jojo is in his life situation and that it would take extreme measures for him to find his purpose in life outside of caring for other around him. 

This is a similar sentiment to the Netflix Series, Ginny and Georgia,  where Ginny, the teenage daughter, has to raise her little brother as her mother chases men and money.  She sends him  to school, writes notes for the teacher when they're missing, and worries about him taking after their mother. Ginny is forced to step up when her mother is being immature and because of it, she loses friends, isolates herself, and often resorts to self harm. Young children and even teenagers should not have to take on all the responsibilities of the adults that are supposed to be caring for them. In the novel, Jojo is the only one that can comfort Kayla; he knows what will make her better when she is sick; he keeps her close to him and tells Leonie what she needs. These are not the duties a child and his having to step up like Ginny, influences his relationships with others. After taking care of others, he doesn't have much left to give and can simply offer friendship to Pop, indifference to Mam, and a hard heart to Michael.