Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Candid memoir is a love letter to family matriarch.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When WE ARE NOT BROKEN begins, the author is a pre-teen who, along with older and younger cousins, spends a lot of his time with his grandmother Nanny, a one-of-a-kind character who holds the family together materially, psychologically, and spiritually. Through a series of vignettes inspired by Nanny's sayings, they trace the family's life through many challenges over about 15 years -- drug use, racism, coming out as queer -- including Nanny's brain cancer diagnosis, illness, and death.
Is It Any Good?
This is a candid portrait of a resilient and unconventional woman and her family. In We Are Not Broken, author George M. Johnson shares stories with two specific goals: to give tribute to the strength and sacrifice of Black women and to send the message that Black boys' lives are about more than trauma and brokenness. The book does a good job communicating that love, joy, and fun don't have to wait until you're in recovery or society is better. At times, however, the examples condone, and even romanticize, violence, substance abuse, and petty crime. For that reason, this book is best for mature readers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the author's grandmother holds the family together in We Are Not Broken. Who are your oldest living relatives? Do you have relationships with them? Do you know their stories?
Crossing the line is a major theme in We Are Not Broken. Has a sense of integrity ever led you to cross a line or break a rule?
We Are Not Broken is a "love letter" to the author's grandmother. Why do you think they chose to include letters and speeches from other family members? Did reading those affect the way you understood the author's perspective?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Autobiography
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Empathy , Gratitude , Integrity , Perseverance , Self-control
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : September 7, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 240
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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