[Review] One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

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Title: One Man Guy

Author: Michael Barakiva [ Website ]

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux an imprint of Macmillan 

Genre: YA Fiction - Contemporary, LGBT, Romance

Release Date: May 27, 2014

Source: ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades. Alek is sure this experience will be the perfect hellish end to his hellish freshman year of high school. He never could’ve predicted that he’d meet someone like Ethan.

Ethan is everything Alek wishes he were: confident, free-spirited, and irreverent. He can’t believe a guy this cool wants to be his friend. And before long, it seems like Ethan wants to be more than friends. Alek has never thought about having a boyfriend—he’s barely ever had a girlfriend—but maybe it’s time to think again.

I really, really enjoyed this read! What could've been a typical "coming out" book is a dynamic story about being honest with oneself, discovering ethnic identity and building relationships. This goes for character's beyond the protagonist which makes this a rich "must read" for the summer.  

"... At a certain point in your life, you're gonna learn there's a difference between what you have to do and what you want to do. And the sooner you start choosing want over have, the happier you'll be." 

What I liked: 

• Alek – He is snarky, intelligent, and loyal. His character depth goes beyond his sexuality and focuses more on his identity as a whole. 
• Ethan –  While I was weary of Ethan at first, his appreciation for Alek's character and ability to be mature through certain scenes made me heart him. Bonus, he's swoony! 
• Alek's Family – While they are not always my favorite people, I get them. This family's love is where it counts, coupled with their desire to hold steadfast onto Armenian culture. 
• Authenticity – I related to this story from an ethnic perspective and not because I'm Armenian but because I'm a minority. So when Alek's parents use phrasing like these Americans I cannot help but giggle because there's someone in my family that says something similar. It's a struggle I feel every immigrant family deals with, the balance between honoring your heritage and assimilating into American culture. 
• The food! I could eat all the foods. I love ethnic food and this story made me want to eat everything! There's also a bonus recipe for stuffed grape leaves, sarma, in the back of the book. 
• Rufus Wainwright references – I love music and these references kept me up all night on YouTube re-watching Rufus videos. 
• Identity Development/ Character Growth – Everyone grows so much! Life isn't peachy and Barakiva makes that clear as his character's face facts, and figure out who they are and what they want. 
• More than a "coming out" tale –  I don't want to be spoilery but it's just more. Yes, the coming out is there but it's not as big of a focal point as one might think.

What made me go "meh..."

There are a few transition/continuity issues while reading that may be ironed out in the finished copy. I lost track of present day and past events being unveiled in the same chapter that I had to re-read to make sure I wasn't lost. 

Some of the language used... It was necessary for authenticity but I still didn't care for it.

4.5 Stars – Read this in one sitting. Get it! I'll be donating a copy to my work's LGBTA center. Recommended for those who are looking for an LGBT read that isn't an "issue" story, those who enjoy laughing, and those who enjoy diverse reads.