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

beautiful story. it tackles multiple subjects including coming out, homophobia, transphobia, queerness, Blackness, going to a private school etc. a lot of things i could relate to and others that i found really informative. i recommend the audiobook format because George M. Johnson does a great job at narrating their own story. i’m rating this a 5/5 because of the things i’ve learned and how seen i felt in this novel, not because i’m rating the authors life or their life experiences. everyone has their own and i’m so thankful they decided to share their story for Black queer children who might need to hear it. we need more Black queer stories and we need more representation for those who never had any. this book also talked about how sometimes George didn’t even have answers themselves. it was all learning and going, i liked how realistic they were about their experiences. being queer and Black is a multitude of goodness and badness. and sometimes an in between, this is not everyone’s own journey but i loved that did show what it looked like for most Black queer ppl especially in America and especially with transphobia and homophobia within our our own communities. All Boys Aren’t Blue is a story about hope but also grief and what it means to is discover who you are for your self. it’s beautiful and something i’ll keep with me forever <3

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susannaobrien's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

"Are you teaching people to swim or are you letting them drown?"

The vulnerability with which All Boys Aren't Blue is written is moving and essential. It took me a couple of chapters to embrace the book as the writing style is more simplistic than I've been used to recently but from the Family chapters onwards I was captivated.

George M. Johnson's raw telling of his queer affirming yet imperfect Black family helps breakdown stereotypes of the Black community, and he takes care to describe powerful relationships with family members (like Nanny, his parents and Hope) and friends (like Kenny) that create a loving environment so often missing for queer young people.

He lays bare his sexual traumas and explorations, friendship gains and losses, and identity questions and certainties - many moments of which had me closing the book to better process his experiences. The simple yet raw writing should provide access to affirmation, acknowledgement and hope to future Black queer young people.

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spiritedfaraway's review

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

All Boys Aren’t Blue is a memoir-manifesto by journalist and LGBTPQIA+ activist George M. Johnson. They talk about their life from childhood to young adult and explore topics such as family, agency, and Black joy.

This is a powerful and, at times, heart wrenching book. It is thought provoking and deeply moving and is definitely something I’m going to continue thinking about for a long time.

This book will help so many people. It was crafted with such thought and care. There are many topics explored in this book that have the potential to be triggering, but Johnson talks about them all in their author’s note at the beginning of the book, so that you are prepared before starting.

They also bring up the fact that some of these things are seen as “too heavy” for teenagers, but that all of these heavy topics happened to them as a child, teenager and young adult. Teenagers, unfortunately, have to navigate some pretty awful things sometimes and Johnson wants those readers to have the space to be seen and heard in their pages.

Definitely go pick up a copy today, you won’t regret it!

“We all deserve more than just the ability to exist.”

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