All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto

This book is necessary for so many reasons. Diverse representation is so important and this book reaffirms that. We need different types of stories from all different types of people like George M. Johnson and Saeed Jones and Jacqueline Woodson. We need different stories so that people, especially children and teenagers, know that they are not alone and that there are people out there who have similar experiences as them. This story is so important for the people who feel invalidated by their queerness, their race, and their gender expression. George makes it clear that this book is for the young LGBTQIA+ people of color who feel unseen and unaccepted. They have support in George and his story. This book is also for the family of children who different. I think it’s so important that we as relatives and friends do our best to support children who don’t fit the norm and this book is really informative on what we as allies could do to uplift them. I would buy this book for my family. I have a nephew, and while he has not expressed non-normative gendered behavior, a book like this is could be instrumental in the way my sister raises him. I’m not going to go super in depth about the book because this is simply George M. Johnson’s story and you just have to read it and go on the journey. I will insert a trigger warning for incest and sexual abuse. Anyways, George’s story is so dynamic, but it’s also his own so it doesn’t feel necessary to extensively review the entire book. I’m giving this book 4.5 stars because it’s a really important read, but for me personally it’s just not quite 5 stars. (Honestly, I think I just have too high expectations for what a 5 star book feels like.) Anyways, it was heartwarming a journey. My favorite chapter was George’s discussion of his cousin Hope. He wrote about her with such care and admiration, and I just found the way he humanized her to be so touching. I also liked his discussion of how we have agency over own bodies and no one is allowed to force anything upon it. This goes in hand with his discussion of sex and sexuality. We have the agency to define how we want to engage in and relate to sex. Sex should be pleasurable for you and if it’s not then you have the right to say stop and make demands for what you desire. Overall, reading a story about the intersection of blackness and queerness is so necessary and it was refreshing. We need stories like this to show that black people are not monolithic, we are multi-faceted and multi-dimensional. We can exist in an infinite spaces. We need stories like this to show that blackness and queerness are not always a constant struggle. In some stories black queer kids are met with support and affirmation, their lives always one of adversity. I really enjoyed this book and I would even buy a copy for my family to read. It’s just a necessary story that needs to be told and I highly recommend it.

I love this book when I was searching for another book to read, and I came across this book. I made the decision to read the backstory. BEST DECISION I EVER MADE because you never know when you’ll stumble across a book that will seek your best interest. When I read the title “All Boys Aren’t Blue.” I knew it was a queer book from the jump, but behind the title the book is far more than that. George talks deeply about his childhood and the struggles he had to go through. Not only growing up as a queer boy but also as a black kid. One of my favorite parts of the book was when he quoted a statement from Abraham Lincoln. That happened around the time of the civil war. George followed up by saying Lincoln never cared about the well-being of black people. He only freed the slaves so he can save the Union and for his own benefit of winning the war against the south. After reading that section of the book I was in shock. I was so in shock that I can’t even remember count how many times I’ve said “wow.” It’s crazy because America paints this man as a “hero.” For being the only president during the civil war who actually cared for black people, when that wasn’t the case. Another one of my favorite parts was when George was graduating from high school, and this white kid referenced Tupac and Biggie. Stating, “ We did this for Tupac and Biggie” 🤦🏾‍♀️ I caught second hand embarrassment after reading that. That was very random and George spoke true facts about people like that. The same people who wanna be “down” with the culture and today we call them “culture vultures.” If I was there I probably would’ve called him out and told him how corny it was of him to say that. In conclusion, I love how George walked me through his life and it also makes me wanna sympathize with him. After hearing about the things he had to go through as a child. I don’t wanna give too much away but this is by far one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read.

George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue is a powerful and heartfelt memoir-manifesto that explores identity, queerness, and Blackness through raw and personal essays. Johnson’s candid storytelling offers an intimate glimpse into experiences that are eye-opening for readers from different backgrounds. While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I found myself reading it in spurts rather than all at once. The raw and emotional nature of Johnson’s storytelling made it a lot to process at times, but this pacing allowed me to fully absorb and reflect on the depth of their experiences. It opened my eyes to a world so different from my own, fostering both understanding and empathy. This is an important, thought-provoking read that challenges societal norms and celebrates identity and love. A must-read for anyone seeking to broaden their perspective and connect with a deeply human story.

This book will save lives. If you know anyone along the beautiful 2SLGBTQ+ spectrum, read this, share this. It’s beautiful, powerful and life affirming.

Mémoire incroyable ! Livre arrivé en très bon état. Je recommande

Intensiv und bewegend. Unbedingt lesen.

It was a delight reading this book. George is very fortunate to have such a loving and understanding family. There are some strong women in the family. Reading this book gave me a perspective of what it’s like to be black and queer. However, not all would end this way. Being a queer Asian person, I can relate to this minus the closeness of family and the environment that I grew up in. Hope this book inspires younger queer folks to be comfortable in their skins and to come out and lead a happy and fulfilling life. I wonder in todays society if things have improved ever more slightly? A great read which I enjoyed tremendously. George, I loved your nanny!

Thank you for a lovely story about family and love, community and querness so relatable to many people regardless of race or nationality.