Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

9 reviews

katie0528's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

An exploration and memoir of Johnson's life growing up both Black and queer. While his family is incredibly accepting, he still faces homophobia from his schoolmates and others. Johnson discusses personal issues such as being molested by a cousin and how not having queer role models caused him to suffer from his own internalized homophobia and feeling as if he doesn't belong. He writes specifically to other young queer people, specifically those of color, trying to be the role model he never had.
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bashsbooks's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

Young adult memoirs are a fickle and difficult genre. It's kind of niche, and YA in general is subject to what adults think teens want, not what teens actually want. (Not that I know what teens want, either, but I can postulate about some things they might not want.) I think for the most part, Johnson recalls being a teen better than most adults, and he's franker with teens than most adults are willing to be. I respect this honesty and directness from him, I like that All Boys Aren't Blue tackles CSA, sexuality, gender, abuse, racism, homophobia, death, and toxic masculinity without shying away from them, and with empathy and nuance without making excuses for abusers. At times, he does come off a little stiff and lecturey, but he's above average for the genre. And his anecdotes are well-chosen and well-connected.
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ellius's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

Now I’m gonna be upfront. I hate memoirs. I never thought I would like one let alone love one. But this book will always hold a special place in my heart.

This book is educational and thorough. It’s valuable and heartfelt. It. Shouldn’t. Be. Banned.

This book covers topics, issues and education in an upfront and inspiring way. It’s obviously written for young adults and it uses some writing techniques to show that. It’s light hearted and extremely valuable and i recommend everyone read it. 

10/10. Check it out.
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pizzaisjesus98's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

A wonderful and important book that can open eyes and hearts
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the_true_monroe's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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deadeye's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.25

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katsbooks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative fast-paced

4.5

"We are not as different as you think, and all our stories matter and deserve to be celebrated and told."

"Navigating in a space that questions your humanity isn't really living at all. It's existing. We all deserve more than just the ability to exist."

"American history is truly the greatest fable ever written."

"Knowledge is your sharpest weapon in a world that is hell-bent on telling you stories that are simply not true."

I always feel weird rating memoirs so take my star rating with a grain of salt. The strangeness lies in giving a star rating to someone's life. Like, how can I do that? So my rating is mostly based on social content and writing style. 

I loved a lot of things about this book. I really like that it is written in a way that is accessible to teenagers. It is clear and concise in it's messaging while also being personal and impactful. It also doesn't shy away from tough topics. The author often addresses the sentiment that he wants this book to serve as an example of queer, Black human existing and thriving as a full human with a lifetime of positive and negative experiences. I especially appreciated the chapters on his school experiences. As an educator, it's always good to hear students have experienced the school system. 

My only major critique is that tone of the writing felt... immature? I'm not sure if that's the verbiage I want to use but I got the feeling sometimes that I was reading an essay from one of my high school students. That being said, though, it's meant for high school students so I can definitely understand if that was done on purpose. 
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hmatt's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

3.0

I have a feeling I will be in the minority of reviewers here, but I found this to be a challenging read because of its lack of sophistication. It felt unedited - rough transitions between chapters/phases of the author's life, unrefined phrasing, a mix of both too much and not enough detail in different areas. To me, it reads 100% as a memoir and 0% as a manifesto because of this.

From a stylistic perspective, I cannot stand memoirs that self-reference/break the fourth wall/"Dear Reader"-me. I lost count of how many chapters the author stated were "the hardest chapter to write" or similar.

When it comes to the content of the memoir: I felt uncomfortable in spots because it read as though the author has not unpacked or processed some of the trauma he describes. I understand that these were formative experiences and it would have defeated the point of the memoir to exclude them; but, as a reader, they were presented in... almost a casual way? A way that excuses or brushes off the traumatic nature of these experiences?
I also have extremely turbulent feelings about the author repeatedly, for an entire chapter, deadnaming and misgendering his cousin and then explaining it as "that was my perspective" or something equally BS.


I haven't come across anything else in my limited reading that fills this specific genre/experience, so I guess I understand the higher star ratings from that lens? Read it, if you have a few hours. But maybe don't go into it with the expectation that this is a groundbreaking literary memoir.
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theshrinkette's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

First 5-star read of 2021. Johnson has penned a searing, vulnerable memoir of the joys and traumas of being a young Black queer person. The essays are arranged to paint a picture gathering specific experiences that shaped them as a Black queer person, writer, and activist. A valuable book for young queer people as they navigate their identities and belongingness in the world. (Note: A young trans cousin mentioned in the book is deadnamed and misgendered in one chapter, though Johnson specifies that they were writing that chapter from the perception of their teenage self.)
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