Young Adult Non-Fiction
Reviewed by Gail-Morden Branch Administrator
Let me start by saying that this isn't a book I was drawn to in the normal ways. I love a good cover, a witty title, a favorite author. This book has none of those things, not for me anyway.
I decided to read (and review) this book simply because of all the drama around it and to learn what is true and what is not, regarding what has all been said about the book. What can I say, I'm a librarian...I read.
The book cover and title did not draw my attention, but it wasn't really meant to. George M. Johnson is crystal clear that his audience is young, black men who are questioning their place in this world. This book is meant to be an education for those who are open to it, and that's where I come in, a middle-aged, white woman who is willing to try to understand someone else's life and experiences a little more.
The author's note at the beginning was good to read for the background of George's story, plus his hopes of what telling his story would accomplish. It's a true story, it's his life. There is some tough content to read, it won't be for everyone.
Despite all that, I enjoyed the book. Well, most of the book. There were some parts there were hard to read, but I felt that since I had stepped that far into his life already, I owed it to him to read not only the good, but also the bad and the ugly. There were humorous parts and there were also parts that were interesting, coming from a very different perspective. The book is largely focused on how things felt to George as he grew up and the internal struggles he went through trying to find out who George M. Johnson was going to be to himself, his family and the world.
Would I recommend it? I would. It's never a bad thing to open your mind to the experience of someone else.
Available as an eBook on Libby and in the Morden branch.
