3 stars
An open and compelling memoir as well as a call to action for representation into the intersection between Blackness and queerness, especially within the YA genre.
Johnson does a wonderful job crafting a memoir that acts as a place of relatability for those who share his identities as well as a place for more privileged groups to learn about and better understand those identities. The themes of providing space where readers feel they are not alone and that all voices are worthy of being heard come across strongly and are worked throughout the narration.
Johnson also demonstrates a variety of ways he was treated differently because of his skin color, queer identity, or the combination of his identities (access to education, his behaviors being judged more harshly than white students). This acts as a place of connection with readers who’ve faced similar discrimination and as education opportunities for those who have not in order to highlight their own privileges.
Much of the book focuses on the idea of manhood and especially what that looks like in the Black community. This distinction is especially important as much of mainstream media tends to focus on white queerness, which is indeed important and worthy a topic, but is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of all the multitude of identities within queerness.
A great step forward in terms of representation. We need more works that demonstrate intersectionality. Not just what it means to have a certain skin color or gender expression or sexual identity, but where these various identities (and more) come together to form an actual human being not just a box to fill in on forms.