Are you looking for a Pride read to finish out the month or are you lying for a book to read and support queer Black authors year round? Then All Boys Aren’t Blue is perfect for you!

All Boys Aren’t Blue is such a nuanced and unique read that I wish I would have had access to as a teenager. George M. Johnson writes this memoir reflecting on their multifaceted identities and growing up in the Black community as a queer and effeminate person. George wrote this book because they did not see themselves in the books and movies they read/saw as a child and they used this book as a way to connect to their younger self.

George has beautiful writing that explores such deep and nuanced topics of sexuality, gender identity, racism, and more. That being said, George does not leave anything behind with their writing and makes sure to address all of the topics that are often brushed over when adults speak to young adults such as sexual assault and sex education. George makes people feel seen and heard in their writing of George’s experiences. I feel that a lot of young adults will feel a connection to this novel, especially because it is so original with the essay memoir format.

Although I could not connect completely to George M. Johnson, I could relate to George’s experiences of questioning one’s identity and trying to find where you fit into this world. That being said, the essay that spoke to me the most was “Honest Abe Lied to Me” because it speaks about the American schooling system and how it is not serving all of our students. The school to prison pipeline is something I am working hard to dismantle in my own practices and reading George’s essay about their experience with school and the content taught was incredible.

George M. Johnson is so vulnerable in their debut novel and I cannot wait to see what they write next.