From the Bookshelf of DMPL Book Chat…

All Boys Aren’t Blue

George M. Johnson

Start date: January 5, 2022

Finish date: February 1, 2022

Why we're reading this: All Boys Aren't Blue is Reading Challenge 2022 Book Club's January selection! This book club will be held…more
[close] All Boys Aren't Blue is Reading Challenge 2022 Book Club's January selection! This book club will be held via Zoom on Monday, January 31 at 6:00 PM. Visit our website or call 515-248-4152 to register or for more details.

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What Members Thought

Aug 13, 2022 Deb rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What an amazingly open, vulnerable, marvelous memoir-manifesto this is! I learned so much from it, even though I am no way its target demographic. This young man’s journey to find himself is so full of true insights that it resonated deeply with my - admittedly - very different journey.

I hope to see much more from Mr. Johnson. His voice shines through every word and sentence. By the way, if you can get the audiobook version, which is read by the author, I highly recommend you do so.

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 02, 2023 Stephanie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2022-dmpl-reading-challenge, autobiography-memoir, banned

I listened to the audiobook, which was read beautifully by the author. A memoir about growing up as a queer, black man, attending a private catholic school, going to college, and having a large, close-knit family.

1 like · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2020 Jeanine rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, nonfiction, lgbtq, memoir-biography, audiobook, read-harder-2020

A candid YA memoir about growing up black and queer written by Johnson for kids going through the same experience.

1 like · Like · see review

Jun 28, 2021 Andy rated it liked it

Shelves: lgbtq, non-fiction, ya

Except for a few essays that provide a voice to topics I’ve never seen discussed in YA literature – and that are important, timely and potentially lifesaving to queer and BIPOC kids – I’m struggling to understand the near universal praise for “Boys.”

While there’s a part of me that feels like I’m living in a glass house throwing stones, it would be disingenuous not to be honest about how Johnson’s essays – more memoir than manifesto – felt perfunctory.

My biggest issue was with the writing style ...more

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