Recently learned this book was #2 on the list of 50 Most Commonly Banned Books in America from the 2021-2022 school year. And honestly, if it upsets the old white men that much, I think that's a pretty great indicator that it needs to be read.

George Johnson paints a very personal picture of what his life growing up as a queer black kid in a society that is dangerous to both of those demographics. He covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy.

A the wonderful thing about this book is that it was clearly written for young queer Black kids to ensure that they can see their lived experiences in media. As someone who is of a similar age as the author, I can say that I never had access to queer stories like this growing up. Part of that makes my inner-child really sad but I mostly feel really grateful to the author for being able to put his truth out there for a younger generation.

A note: I ended up switching over to the audiobook which I think helped increase my overall enjoyment. The writing style does come across as meant for a younger audience (which, yeah.. it's a YA memoir.) The cadence and style feel like Johnson is sitting down with you and telling you stories from his past which I think just lends itself better to audio. So, if you have a chance to pick up the audiobook, I think it's absolutely worth the read. Especially to hear it in the authors own voice.