Thanks to netGalley and the publishers for the copy of this book that I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

As an educator, I will definitely use this book.
Because I teach in Appalachia, I am always looking for strong queer texts to use because I think that's one particular identity characteristic that my students still struggle with. Add in the fantastic examination of gender and race, as well as the dynamic those have within a family, and this is just a beautiful text. George M. Johnson's voice is so strong and you really get a clear view of who you are reading about through the way he crafts his narrative. Loved it.

Johnson's writing is incredibly powerful, and resonates with the reader. He describes a world in which he never fully fits - a place where he is "George" to some, and "Matt" to others; a place where he is out to some, but closeted to others. I think a lot of readers could relate to this. I would love to adopt this for my classroom, either this year or next, because I feel some students could really use this frank discussion of sexuality and acceptance in their lives. While some of the material is perhaps a bit mature for my age group, I feel that the overall message and lessons from Johnson's story are exactly what teens need.

This was an interesting memoir of a young African American male growing up battling the struggles of living in his truth or confirming to society’s “beliefs” of who he should be. His personal accounts tell a tale of LGBT youth who don’t have the support from family and friends to be themselves and live happily in their truth.