All Boys Aren’t Blue – George M. Johnson

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
Published: April 28th, 2020
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Memoir, LGBTQIA+, Family, Identity, Sexuality, Assault, Grief

REVIEW:

I feel honoured to have had the chance to read about George M. Johnson’s positive and negative experiences growing up. I also feel humbled by the fact that the author trusted us with his secrets and wanted to make this book a safe space for other people out there who may struggle with the same issues he did or want to become more educated on them.

Life really is a journey and everyone experiences it differently. Some lose their virginities at fourteen, others at twenty-three. Some have their first jobs at fifteen, others at twenty-two. Some leave their family houses at seventeen, others at twenty-five. I want to say that there are no strict rules for these things, but the truth is society does try to tell you around when you should be doing these things and how you should do them. George has felt that societal pressure to great extent for most of his childhood and early adult life.

This is a story on how he gave into the heterosexual agenda but also how he tried to fight it – or put it aside – in order to follow his own instincts. One of the things that add beauty to his memoir is his wonderfully large and thoughtful family. Not everyone is accepting with open arms, but they do make an effort to understand and include everyone. I’m almost disappointed that this is a Young Adult memoir because I would have loved to know more about George’s adult life experiences. Maybe one day…

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