ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson

Rating: 4 / 5

I had to make my first trek to a work site during normal operating hours (and semi-normal traffic hours) a couple weeks back and the main reason I wasn’t too upset is that I needed to finish reading ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson!

ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE is the author’s memoir (read by the author on audio as well) written as a series of essays about his experiences growing up in the intersection of being both Black and queer. It touches on difficult subjects from intense bullying and abuse by neighborhood kids as a child, his first experiences in sexual relationships both good and bad, and losses in the author’s life. Johnson sets out to provide resources too to youth in similar situations, resources he did not have himself as he was growing up.

It is always tough to try to review someone’s personal experiences in a book, but I can say that this one was very well written and the audio was fantastic. It isn’t always an easy read, there is difficult content along the way and the author doesn’t shy away from saying that he doesn’t have all the answers. The author grew up in an accepting family which of course not everyone has. Even so, his discussions of the lack of resources, from sex education to support networks in general was eye opening. Though targeted as a YA memoir, this is a book that is worthwhile for any age!

Product spotlight:

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen in my stories that I received some new Sudio Tolv earbuds this week! I have them all hooked up and have started listening to my audiobooks on them and they are fantastic. I’m happy to be able to offer my followers a 15% off discount code at sudio.com: DGREADS15 (expires 9/22).

• Listen time: Tolv offers 7 hours of charge time, plus 4 additional charges in the case, so it is perfect for audiobooking (or other listening) on the go!
• Compatibility: Tolv uses the latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology and works with Andorid and iOS (setup was super easy too)!
• Sound quality: Tolv features a new graphene driver for quality sound (and I can attest that my audiobooks are crisp and clear as I’m up and wandering the house while listening so far!)
• Summer Promotion: Through 7/12, Sudio has a summer campaign going on which will include a tote bag, a Sudio black card case and free gift wrapping with every purchase!