From School Library Journal Gr 6–10—Fourteen-year-old Alek Khederian is horrified when his parents announce that he will be going to summer school in order to get him on the Honors track. This change of plans means no relaxation, no time with friends, no tennis camp, and no family vacation. He starts summer school grudgingly, only to have his spirits lifted when he meets Ethan, who is different from anyone Alek has ever known, and Alek is shocked when Ethan wants to be friends. Before long, their friendship deepens into a romance Alek definitely didn't see coming. The events in this coming-of-age novel move a little too quickly to be fully realized, and some of the secondary characters are two-dimensional. However, Alek's character is well developed. He's a likable teen who remains true to himself throughout; he stands up for what he believes in, even if it means upsetting the people he cares about. The story will appeal to both young people who are just discovering their own sexuality and readers who enjoy a good budding romance.—Sarah Allen, Judson High School, Converse, TX Read more From Booklist When it appears that Alek is going to fall off the Honor Track at school, the 14-year-old’s strict Armenian parents, for whom education is of paramount importance, insist he go to summer school. Little do they—or he—know that it will be a life-changing experience. For it is there that he meets Ethan, who epitomizes cool. To Alek’s amazement, the two become friends and then fall in love. But when Alek’s parents predictably find the two making out, they ground him and forbid him to see Ethan again. Surely, this can’t end well. Or can it? Barakiva’s first novel is at once a sweet-spirited love story and a sometimes didactic primer on Armenian life and culture in America. The reader learns, for example, that if you’re Armenian, you only go to an Armenian Orthodox Church, you must love chess and classical music, and the kitchen and ethnic cuisine are the pride of every Armenian household. More serious is the attention given to the early-twentieth-century Armenian Holocaust and the visceral memories it stirs. The Armenian content adds flavor and texture to what would otherwise be a fairly typical gay love story. Grades 7-10. --Michael Cart Read more See all Editorial Reviews
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