All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
Reviewed By: Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager
Genre: Memoir
Suggested Age: Adults & Teens (14+)
What is This Book About? George M. Johnson grew up in New Jersey, without the language to describe his intersecting identities as a queer Black boy. His essays capture what his life was like as a child, teen, and young adult experiencing racism, toxic masculinity, and homophobia in a variety of ways. There are plenty of moments filled with triumph and playfulness, even with how challenging and painful the content could be. His stories span a street fight at five, going to flea markets with his grandmother, experiencing first love, and attending an historically Black college. Despite the fact that his queer and Black identities don’t always mesh perfectly, Johnson comes to the realization that he is a complete person who doesn’t have to compromise his identities to define himself.
My Review: From the introduction I knew that this book would be a personally challenging book to read, but I love reading books about people different from myself and I really appreciated this opportunity. Johnson wrote about the ups and downs of his life in a conversational way that was really easy to connect to, despite our completely different experiences growing up. It felt like I was listening to a real person instead of simply reading a book.
I specifically read this book in celebration of Banned Books Week as people across the country have challenged its presence in school and public libraries because they say its content is inappropriate and too mature for teenagers. This frustrates me, as Johnson was a child and teenager during these experiences, and there are teenagers across this country who can see their experiences reflected in this book. To silence this book is to silence teens across the country who can relate to Johnson, and ban other people from the chance to learn from his life. This book should be taken as both a message to be yourself, and as a call to action for people outside of queer and Black identities to help transform the world to make it a safer, happier place for everyone.
Three Words that Describe this Book: realistic, honest, important
Give This A Try if You Like… Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin, You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson, Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram, Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Rating: 5/5
