The essays were interesting but Iacking in substance. I felt there was so much more the author could have and wanted to share.

This was an absolutely stunning show of warmth, love, and acceptance within a set of trauma and identity.

Highly recommended for every person.

Over two years after publication, and I've finally gotten to this for Banned Book Week. An important book, and one that is absolutely age appropriate for high school students.
Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me the ARC!

This memoir is how all the memoirs should be! it is intuitive, deeply explorative about gender, identity and one's sexuality.A powerful memoir especially for young queer kids but I think everyone needs to read this book just to understand the complexities surrounding the queer kids especially in the black community. It is beautifully written, the utter rawness of the narration left me in a huge puddle. It might be a short book but will have a lasting impression on you for sure.

This book is an important voice to be heard in the world we live in right now. What a powerful and needed book!
Due to the graphic descriptions in some scenes, I would definitely recommend to older high schoolers, but I know there are teen out there that will be able to see themselves in this book.

In this memoir, George reflects on their life in the most straightforward and unblinking of ways. I was reminded of myself and friends I went to college with all at the same time. Sharing their story with the world is a brave undertaking that I hope to share with those in my life who will be encouraged by this act.

Completely obsessed with this book, and this Author!! Loved every single page! So beautifully written!

A raw, honest, and beautiful memoir that really packs a punch. While this book was hard to read at times, it is a powerful and important story. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook for this one because the author narrates it.

Trigger and Content Warnings: bullying, toxic masculinity, homophobia,

Recently, I have decided that I won't be giving star ratings to books that are nonfiction (facts, science, etc but something,) biographies memoirs, or clear depictions of someone's life. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to rate something as a not good 1 star or a new favorite 5 star when it is something true or someone's life. It doesn't feel right and doesn't sit well with me. Due to Netgalley requiring reviews including a star rating, I will give this the star rating I would've given if it was something fictional (4.5 stars). With that being said ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by GEORGE M. JOHNSON is a beautiful story depicting the conversations, struggles, and experiences associated with gender, identity, sexuality, and race. It was difficult to read and listen to at moments due to my own experiences but didn't hinder my reading experience or thoughts towards the book. This will be added to my list of books to be recommended to everyone and brought up in future conversations.

I never pick up memoirs. Ever. Not for any specific reason but I find many are never able to truly move me the way fictional stories do.

But this memoir specifically moved me greatly. It is breathtakingly beautiful and has so many lessons that many of us, not just young readers, can take from. It explores topics I don’t think I’ve seen explored as such in other works of literature.

It was very well written and a prominent read I think many should pick up.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

Interesting premise. Likable/hated characters. Cool plot. I would recommend this story to others. Some spots I found that didn't hold my attention, but overall, I still liked it.

a beautiful story that was also heartbreaking. I highly recommended and would love to listen to it again as an audiobook.

In an attempt to catch up with the reviews I fell behind on in 2020 I am only leaving star ratings. For the books that I didn't feel incredibly passionate about.

Thank you to Wednesday Books an St. Martin's Press for the free e-copy of this book to read and enjoy. I went into this book totally blind, honestly having no clue it was a memoir and I HIGHLY recommend this to everyone. Being able to take your life story and connect it to queer youth today is something we need more of. Heteronormativity should not be the standard as we are all different and should be celebrated! I loved the breakdown of toxic masculinity, racism, and gender norms. One thing I talked to a friend about was the push for sexual attraction and how that it can exclude asexual people and put pressure onto people who don't feel sexual attraction or intimacy and how it may make them feel more outcast than they already may feel.

Thank you again for this wonderful book!

I knew this book would bring up a lot of important issues in our world and topics that I don't see talked about enough, but I wasn't expecting the overwhelming emotional impact it would have as well.

George M. Johnson is a fantastic author and writer. They clearly get their point across throughout their stories, and they delved deep into each piece of knowledge they presented. It talks about family, about sexuality, about identity and gender. I found myself both smiling and crying throughout this book. I'm still in awe over everything, and I'm not entirely sure how to put it into words. I took my time reading this book, and I don't regret it at all.

This book is important. As someone who just recently found their place in the LGBTQIA+ community, it's left me with things that I can relate to, but it also gave me experiences I wouldn't understand and now know more better about. George gives their readers both teachings and stories to look at and enjoy and/or empathize with. For that, I rate it 4.25 stars. I look forward to seeing more from George M. Johnson in the future, and I hope that this book reaches and touches the people it was meant for.

This story was a wonderful exploration of character and after completing it, I had to sit with it for a while to process the story it was telling. There was so much to learn from this book and it’s a very important read. It discusses topics that need more exploration. It’s a bit tricky to review memoirs because it’s not always easy to connect with the author and their very personal experiences, but whether or not you connect with the author, the story remains important and deserves to be told.

I thank George M. Johnson for inviting me, and all readers, into his memories. This book is so full of heart and shows us how to love. I cried, I laughed, I learned. George's story needs to be in YA collections and prominently displayed so the young people who have felt unseen can find a friend in George.

TW: harassment (both sexual and otherwise), depression, racism

This is a really important memoir and I have learned a great deal from it. I just want to say that if I liked reading memoirs more, this would have probably been a five star read, but because I’m not a big fan of memoir formats and the genre as a whole, I did bump it down to a four stars. However, I think this book needs to be read by everyone. Every single person. George Johnson had such an authentic and powerful voice in this book and for someone who struggled with his sexuality, his presence in this book was still commanding. I loved the way that his lessons were told in stories (I love stories) and the way in which he artfully wove the idea of intersectionality, being both Black and queer, into these stories.

I read this book because I had heard many great things about it, but it was not just merely an enjoyable book, but once that packed so much substance. I feel so much more aware and educated about the struggles that Black queer men face in this day and age. I learned about history that isn’t taught to us in school. I learned about the importance of family and community, being blessed to have a community in which I feel safe and fully myself in. This book covered it all. I haven’t read many books with queer representation, but I have recently gotten into quite a number of them and have realized that we as readers need to open our horizons to what we read so we can educate ourselves and provide that space for people who might not have one. This book is a journey and one that I’m so glad I have experienced. I know I’ve recommended books in the past, but this one is a must read.

This story blew me away. I thought I knew what I was getting into but I was wrong. This story caused me to sit in reflection once I was done. This wasn't an easy story to get through but it was necessary to push through. I am now on the hunt for more memoirs like this because I'm hooked.