katyyyowens's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
sanmeow's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
a truly amazing memoir about being a black queer person in the usa. a beautifully written and really insightful exploration of growing up / coming of age, discovering your identity, and the ways societal standards around you and religion can influence you as you grow. i do think some parts were repetitive though, but it's not a huge issue at all.
chadh878's review against another edition
4.0
I love how it was a love letter to himself as a kid! There are quite a few things I resonated with!
perusinghannah's review against another edition
4.0
(7.9/10) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Content warnings can be found here
Black Boy Out of Time is a very intricate and meticulous memoir by cultural critic, screenwriter, and the editor-in-chief of RaceBaitr Hari Ziyad, in which they carefully discuss growing up in America as a Black and queer individual.
Ziyad spends a large portion of the book talking to their younger self, and structuring their memoir like this paved the way for such a kind and love-filled exploration of incredibly difficult topics that you can't help but admire it. It takes a lot to talk about the people who have hurt you with warmth and attempt at understanding, and they did it with such a beautiful style that I'd highly recommend Black Boy Out of Time to those who have read and enjoyed the works of authors like George M. Johnson and Billy-Ray Belcourt.
I did find it repetitive in use of language, however, and while one could argue this to some degree serves a purpose, it became a little too apparent for it to not influence my overall enjoyment. Nevertheless, it's a thought-provoking memoir that definitely deserves the read.
Content warnings can be found here
Black Boy Out of Time is a very intricate and meticulous memoir by cultural critic, screenwriter, and the editor-in-chief of RaceBaitr Hari Ziyad, in which they carefully discuss growing up in America as a Black and queer individual.
Ziyad spends a large portion of the book talking to their younger self, and structuring their memoir like this paved the way for such a kind and love-filled exploration of incredibly difficult topics that you can't help but admire it. It takes a lot to talk about the people who have hurt you with warmth and attempt at understanding, and they did it with such a beautiful style that I'd highly recommend Black Boy Out of Time to those who have read and enjoyed the works of authors like George M. Johnson and Billy-Ray Belcourt.
I did find it repetitive in use of language, however, and while one could argue this to some degree serves a purpose, it became a little too apparent for it to not influence my overall enjoyment. Nevertheless, it's a thought-provoking memoir that definitely deserves the read.
caedocyon's review against another edition
2.0
It's no fun to be aware of how much work an author is putting into their prose and be unimpressed by the result. The repetition was supposed to be poetic; instead it was boring. The whole book, but especially the first 70 pages, reminded me of an AI trained on a certain genre of instagram posts (radical woo?). The result is dense and hard to parse without advancing many new ideas. I occasionally caught a glimpse of an interesting story or idea buried under all that. But: I'm not the target audience, so YMMV.
interruptinggirljoke's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
althea's review against another edition
5.0
This was an absolutely phenomenal nonfiction read that I cannot recommend enough, especially for those who read and loved George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue. Black Boy Out of Time is a heartfelt glance into the authors life growing up queer and Black in a religious household. Ziyad not only shows the reader a deeply personal and raw insight into their life growing up into adulthood, but also illustrates the challenges facing queer people and Black people today, including the introduction of the term 'misafropedia' - the hatred of Black children. This memoir is definitely a must read!
Thanks to Netgalley and Little A for an eARC copy in return for an honest review!
Thanks to Netgalley and Little A for an eARC copy in return for an honest review!
natashajxm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5