I didn’t plan to read this in an afternoon, it just happened Started it on my lunch break and then just kept going.
At some point last year, I requested a copy of this via NetGalley but was either denied or never heard back and as I was cleaning up my account I saw it listed somewhere and was like “oh that one did sound interesting,” so I checked my library and they had a digital copy and here we are.
One Man Guy is the story of Alek, an Armenian-American 14-year-old trying to find his way in his family and in school, who meets and falls for Ethan, an openly gay skater boy who does what he wants.
It’s as much a coming-of-age novel as it is a coming-out novel. Alek has been pushing against the boundaries his strict parents have set for him recently, causing friction with his older brother Nik, and has ended up in summer school. The entire story takes place over one summer (a couple of weeks). It’s funny, I remember summer flying by and feel like this could really happen in one summer: meet a boy, crush on that boy without knowing it, kiss said boy, start dating and then have shit hit the fan.
No, I mean, it’s like all my life I’ve been eating frozen yogurt. And kissing boys is ice cream. (135)
The scene between Alek and his best friend Becky when she kisses him and he doesn’t know what’s going on (even though he’s kissed girls before) was heartbreaking for both of them. And the stubbornness they both showed was perfect. I was glad Alek sorted out his shit and they realized they were best friends because everyone needs someone like that, plus you ended up with this gem:
‘Remember when you were straight and a gentleman?’ A strap of Becky’s trademark overalls hung lazily over her shoulder. ‘I miss those days.’ (253)
Which, let’s face it, is something only your best friend could say to you.
The entire side of the novel dealing with Armenian-American culture and the families was vaguely familiar (went to school with an Armenian family) and it added an interesting dynamic to the novel that was missing from many of the other young adult/teen gay novels I’ve read recently. It highlighted the intersectionality of so many teenagers and provided two of the most awwwwww-inspiring moments of the novel: Alek’s parents acceptance of his sexuality (and his mom saying you’re going to have figure out how to have a biological kid—legit died a little laughing at this one) and the dinner party that was the penultimate scene of the novel. That final scene showed that Alek and Nik were going to be okay as brothers, that Alek had grown so much in the few short weeks of the novel and ultimately highlighted to both their parents and to them that they were growing up and could be trusted with looser boundaries and real conversations.
The only major difference Alek could make out between the subway and the concert crowds was that here in the park, he could see men holding hands with each other. Alek tried to remember if he’d ever seen two guys holding hands before. Girls did it all the time at school, of course, but not boys. And he’d certainly seen gay characters on TV and in movies. But as live viewings went, he concluded this was his first time. And like everything else in New York City, there was so much else going on that the sight of men holding hands didn’t even warrant a second look from anyone else. (80)
As much as I enjoyed the Armenian side of the novel (I even want to try the pickled eggplant) the coming out and Alek’s discovering a whole new world or seeing the world in a different light just felt stronger. Of course, a lot of that comes down to how I identify and how I related to the characters. It also didn’t hurt that Barakiva didn’t rush Alek and Ethan’s relationship, there was no sex and the one scene where it was obvious it was going to happen was interrupted in grand style (saw it coming, but not why) and provided the crisis of the novel.
Recommendation: I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet coming out/coming of age romance. Alek really grows in the few weeks the novel covers and Barakiva brought a different view to LGBT teen romance genre. There were definitely a few heavy parts, but they served to show how Armenian-Americans grow up and carry the weight of their people 0n their shoulders regardless of where they live, their sexuality, or their hopes and dreams.
Opening Line: “Alek stared at the menu suspiciously. He smelled marinara sauce and a trap.”
Closing Line: “Alek leaned in to kiss Ethan as the platform vibrated from the force of two express trains shooting through the station, in opposite directions.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)
Additional Quotes from One Man Guy
“All Alek knew was that he missed Seth differently from everything else in the world he left behind.” (20)
“‘So why are you going into the city?’ Alek said, trying to sound nonchalant. He might not be able to go there on his own, but he knew it would be way uncool to refer to it as ‘New York City.’ Everyone just called it ‘the city,’ as if to imply that the rest of the so-called cities, like Chicago or Los Angeles or Boston, didn’t really count.” (67)
“You know what the biggest compliment in the world is? When someone asks you for directions. It means that you really look like you know where you’re going.” (77)
“The person he thought he knew would never use that kind of hateful language.” (82)
“A friend was someone you talked to in school, joined a club with, or who went to your church. A stupid fight in a basement could end a normal friendship. But a best friend was someone you could trust with your life, someone who you knew would be there for you. Being best friends was a promise to work through things no matter what. And why couldn’t a best friend be a girl?” (99)
“When Alek had learned about the Trojan War and Helen of Troy as the face that launched a thousand ships, he found the whole story totally unbelievable. The idea that a single person could attract, inspire, or arouse hundreds of men to risk their lives and livelihood felt like the kind of mythological hyperbole that never really happened in the real world. But while kissing Ethan, Alek understood why all those Ancient Greek warriors got on those ships and sailed to the other side of their world.” (182)
“Exactly—gay, straight, older, interracial—and I was just wondering, how long will it be before we have more than one idea of family in our heads.” (187)
“Sometimes you need to get what you think you want to realize you never actually wanted it in the first place.” (245)
“This summer’s not the dream. We are. You and me. And it doesn’t matter what time of year it is, as long as we’re together.” (256)
And also for this one!