It's the author's first book and it really shows. There was lots of telling instead of showing, some unrealistic dialogue (there were many parts that sounded less like real people's conversations and more like the author's mouthpiece to send a specific message to his readers), inconsistent characterization (Alek going from being practically scared of Jake to suddenly pulling off a somewhat mean practical joke on him at the lunch table, for example), and just overall simplistic writing that frequently focused on explaining unnecessary details (such as basically taking us on a tour of NYC) while barely fleshing out major characters beyond "he's so cool because he skateboards and starts food fights but he's actually got a really deep, sensitive side because he listens to Rufus Wainwright".

Speaking of Ethan, I felt he came off less as a cool, older guy the way the author clearly intended him to, and more like a bad influence for Alek. I don't have a problem with kids skipping school occasionally but there was no indication that Ethan actually cared about his academics at all. And all his little tricks for getting around the city on just $10 made him seem more like a sneaky person rather than a respectable, streetwise guy. Especially that bit about "returning" a brand new book to the bookstore in order to get trick the cashier into giving him some store credit -- that was just outright theft. ( )

Yeah, I totally only read this one because a) Armenian family; and b) free from the office. I'm not a romance person and I'm not a stupid-decisions-because-crush person. So, lower rating for me. Still, it was fun to see a couple of familiar habits from my husband's family, though it did feel like some stereotypes were exaggerated just to make the fictional family "different" enough to be worth commenting on. For the most part, they could have been any quirky corn-fed American family in any teen rom com.

Spoiler-y summary for my future self:


It's been years since I read this, but the main character goes to summer school because his grades aren't high enough for his family. While there, he meets a "bad boy" and crushes hard. While is family is on a trip to Canada with their Armenian church, he skips school on a "date" that includes seeing the sights of NYC on a very slim budget. As usual for stories about NYC, there's a bit more walking than seems realistic in a single day.

Of course, the family comes home early because--*scandal*--it's been discovered that his brother's girlfriend is part Turkish. So now both brothers have to convince their parents to be less judge-y of their S.O.'s--one who isn't exactly a role model of personal achievement, one whose family is part Turkish. But this is a rom com, so all's well that ends well.

Oh, and there was a fun and funny girl best friend who was wicked good at roller skating. She was great, but apparently not really important to the plot.


That title sat a little odd with me. Aside from one makeout scene that got just a little steamier than I'd expected, the book seems like it could have been aimed at preteens, yet the title is referring to the *radical* (sarcasm) idea that a gay guy could have one steady boyfriend at a time instead of multiple one-off partners. Which...just seems like kind of a dated attitude for the year this was published. Does it really even need pushback these days? Maybe I live too much in a liberal bubble.

Anyway, this book was recently challenged by the governor of Texas because--lame excuses can't hide it--it has LGBTQ+ content. If nothing else, borrow/buy this and read it to spite him! ( )

I'm not really sure where to begin with this book except to say: I loved it. Over the course of a single summer, Alek Khederian has his eyes opened and starts to find himself, in part thanks to Ethan, a slightly older boy whose reputation precedes him.

The writing is incredible. The story flows quite well and I found this to be a rather easy read. And it's a coming-of-age tale that I think many people can relate to, everyone in their own way.

I really don't know what more I can say without gushing on details and spoiling the story. But if you're someone who enjoys young adult, romance, m/m, or just good books in general, I suggest picking this one up. It's hard to believe this is Michael Barakiva's first book - I certainly look forward to more!

(eGalley provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.) ( )

Narrated by Michael Chernus. Well, I know more now about Armenian culture than I ever did before and that's a good thing! Alek is a good boy raised by principled parents who value education and their Armenian culture. So it's a bit out of character when, while his parents are out of town on vacation, Alek hooks up with Ethan, a popular boy at school whom he hero-worships and crushes on. Chernus almost sounds too old to voice Alek's story but he is spot on in bringing out the humorous moments: Alek's family complaining about "those Americans," Alek's conversations with his best friend Becky, Alek wrestling with his family values versus Ethan's invitations to adventure. There are a couple of descriptive scenes of the boys making out but otherwise it's a fairly tame but affectionate portrayal of a nerdy teen expanding his horizons. ( )

I enjoyed this story of fourteen-year-old Alek Khederian, the second son in an Armenian family, who realizes he's gay the summer after his first year of high school. Alek has an annoyingly perfect older brother, loving but rigid parents, a saucy rollerblading best friend, and a new crush on Ethan. The flaw in this book is its tendency to lecture through its characters, mainly to educate about the Armenian genocide (the Khederians to non-Armenians) and about New York and gay culture (Ethan to Alek). However, it's still a great read; I'd recommend it to fans of David Levithan.

Quotes

"We are the thing we were raised to be." (Alek to Becky, 48)

"It was like ice cream...it's like all my life I've been eating frozen yogurt. And kissing boys is ice cream." (Alek to Becky, 135)

"Producing grandchildren is one of the most fundamental of all Armenian responsibilities. It's more important than celebrating Remembrance Day or boycotting Turkish restaurants." (Alek to Becky, 142)

Even New Jersey, Alek thought, looked beautiful through the lens of New York. (179) ( )