I really enjoyed this story and it is so important for young readers to have access too. We need more stories like this one. No one deserves to feel alone and seeing yourself in stories and having those questions answered is so important.

This is a beautiful memoir that is a testament to both queer joy and what it means to have a supportive family. It brings to the conversation the intersection of Blackness and gender identity and how those two are often not looked at in the same conversations. There is no sugar coating here and the author is very honest in what life for a Black queer person looks like. His refusal to put himself in a specific gender box also provides representation to queer kids and teens that gender is indeed a spectrum and labels aren't always necessary. 

I enjoyed this one, I feel like I learned a lot about struggles and challenges faced by Black, Queer people and about the dangers of just existing in a world determined to hate you for who you are and who you love. It was a very eye opening read. 

No rating for nonfiction, but I do recommend reading this one. It was difficult to get through some parts because of the content, so I would check content warnings. This story is such an important lesson for people who identify more like me than they do the person telling this story. 

I listened to this audiobook through my library on Libby. 

Brief Summary: A memoir that explores the experience of a Black, Queer person growing up. Johnson provides essays about their life that include experiences navigating racism, homophobia, sex, love, and joy.

Thoughts: This is a beautifully written book. Johnson has such a clear understanding of how growing up can be such a difficult process and how learning to love yourself is truly the first step to an enlightened understanding of the world. 

I really loved every essay that included stories of Johnson's grandmother. The love and admiration that they have for each other was so touching to read. I also think that it is so important that Johnson highlighted how their grandmother and others in their family may not have had a perfect response to the queer members of the family, but that their love for each other always came first and that love allowed for growth and acceptance on all sides.

I also appreciate the way that Johson discusses their sexual experiences. I think that even in a young adult book it is important to discuss topics like these because making them taboo makes it difficult for people to feel comfortable discussing the topic and asking questions. 

Even if you are not a young adult this is a great book to read. It is beautifully and thoughtfully written. I would highly recommend this book