Not giving a rating, since I try to lean away from rating someone's personal experiences.

An absolute must read for those looking for queer voices and stories to learn from and broader their world. Johnson details his experiences with such palatable emotion that makes it so easy to connect with him. It really is nice to see him talk about how much support he had from his family, that his queerness was mostly accepted, even though not everyone is lucky enough to relate to that. It shows that support is possible, that having loving people in your life that love every part of you is possible, that the queer life can be a loving one even in the face of oppression and bigotry.

His conversations around sex are also so important to give to teens. Without becoming too graphic, Johnson states them matter of factly, highlighting the emotions and feelings he had around various sexual experiences, one good, one not as good, as well as one more traumatic event. It stirs important lessons about consent, healthy sexual practices, and advocating for your body. I know these passages are typically what causes Johnson's book to be banned repeatedly, but these conversations are necessary to promote safe sexual encounters. Because of them though, this book is suited more towards the older end of young readers, at least high school age.

I can see many teens finding comfort and solidarity in Johnson's words, as well as many people who could really learn from them. I hope this book finds its way to the people that need it.