Reviews with content warning for Cursing - All Boys Aren't Blue

"We are not as different as you think, and all our stories matter and deserve to be celebrated and told."

"Navigating in a space that questions your humanity isn't really living at all. It's existing. We all deserve more than just the ability to exist."

"American history is truly the greatest fable ever written."

"Knowledge is your sharpest weapon in a world that is hell-bent on telling you stories that are simply not true."

I always feel weird rating memoirs so take my star rating with a grain of salt. The strangeness lies in giving a star rating to someone's life. Like, how can I do that? So my rating is mostly based on social content and writing style.

I loved a lot of things about this book. I really like that it is written in a way that is accessible to teenagers. It is clear and concise in it's messaging while also being personal and impactful. It also doesn't shy away from tough topics. The author often addresses the sentiment that he wants this book to serve as an example of queer, Black human existing and thriving as a full human with a lifetime of positive and negative experiences. I especially appreciated the chapters on his school experiences. As an educator, it's always good to hear students have experienced the school system.

My only major critique is that tone of the writing felt... immature? I'm not sure if that's the verbiage I want to use but I got the feeling sometimes that I was reading an essay from one of my high school students. That being said, though, it's meant for high school students so I can definitely understand if that was done on purpose.

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f18's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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leahlovesloslibros's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

This is the story of George M. Johnson, a queer black man. He details his life from childhood, to adolescence, to early adulthood. In this YA memoir, Johnson largely focuses on sharing his stories for teens like himself who do not normally get to hear a firsthand experience. His discussions of the intersection between being black and queer, and what that has meant for George throughout his life, are so open and honest.

The author uses real-life experience to show others that they are not alone, and that it's OK to feel everything that you feel. I found myself surprised to hear him discuss exactly how deeply rooted racism can be, even within the black community. It will definitely make me think more critically about how American history is whitewashed, and how blacks are often underrepresented and/or tokenized without us even realizing it.

Additionally, the challenges Johnson faced - and continues to face - as a member of the queer community, are sadly relatable to many. He tells of them in such a way that the reader can sympathize or empathize, depending on their own personal experiences. Either way, it made me just want to give the author a hug.

Final thought: I really loved reading about Johnson's grandmother. The way she provided unconditional love for all in her care, and them all feel special in their own way, was just so beautiful. Anyone who has a woman like this in real life, I hope you are grateful and know how absolutely lucky you are.

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skudiklier's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

I think this memoir will be really helpful for a lot of people, and I'm very glad it was written. I'm also glad I read it. However, the writing was not very good; I feel bad saying this, and this is the first book in a very long time where I would actually say something like that. I think the structure of the book was sort of a mess, and so much of it was really on the nose. "Here's a story that I'm going to tell in a roundabout way as if it's not planned out ahead of time, and now here's how I connect this to broader society/gender/identity/etc." Again, I think this book will be great for some young people figuring out their identity on multiple levels. And it's not like it was written terribly or anything--but I haven't read a book written this poorly in a long time.

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letmetakea_shelfie_'s review

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hopeful reflective fast-paced

5.0

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