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Cub
In the gay community, a young, husky man is known as a "cub" Seventeen-year-old Theo fits the definition perfectly, but he is very self-conscious about his body. So when his best friend signs him up for a cooking competition at Heat, the city's newest trendy restaurant, Theo is nervous. He's confident in his baking ability, and dreams of opening his own bakery one day, but he's not a chef, and he hates being in the spotlight.
As Theo survives round after round, he gains the admiration of both the audience and the restaurant owner, a sexy celebrity chef known as KCC. When the owner makes it clear he is more interested in what Theo might do outside the kitchen, Theo has to decide how far he is willing to go to launch his career.
As Theo survives round after round, he gains the admiration of both the audience and the restaurant owner, a sexy celebrity chef known as KCC. When the owner makes it clear he is more interested in what Theo might do outside the kitchen, Theo has to decide how far he is willing to go to launch his career.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2019
2 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 31, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley and Orca for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
This was a fun story. It's more along the lines of a novella at around 150 pages or so. The main characters receive some relatively good development in such a short page count, but the plot felt a little unfinished. I feel like another chapter or two to answer some lingering questions and tie up some bits left dangling would have helped. I loved Theo and his bestie Di and Mama Bear too. I did have some issues with the much older adults making advances on the youngin'...
Overall, it was a good story and I appreciate what Orca is trying to do - get more stories out there that involve LGBT+ youth, in all shapes and sizes and colors and creeds, so people feel represented. And I'm totally on board with that.
Writing/plot/story - 3 stars
Overall loving what Orca's got going on - 5 stars
So I'll settle in the middle on 4. :)
This was a fun story. It's more along the lines of a novella at around 150 pages or so. The main characters receive some relatively good development in such a short page count, but the plot felt a little unfinished. I feel like another chapter or two to answer some lingering questions and tie up some bits left dangling would have helped. I loved Theo and his bestie Di and Mama Bear too. I did have some issues with the much older adults making advances on the youngin'...
Overall, it was a good story and I appreciate what Orca is trying to do - get more stories out there that involve LGBT+ youth, in all shapes and sizes and colors and creeds, so people feel represented. And I'm totally on board with that.
Writing/plot/story - 3 stars
Overall loving what Orca's got going on - 5 stars
So I'll settle in the middle on 4. :)
December 16, 2019
I really liked this, and there's a lot in here for a short hi-lo book, which seems to me to be a delicate balance to pull off.
(I should maybe start by saying if you don't know what a hi-lo book is, it's a high-interest, low-reading level book, meaning it's accessible without speaking down to the reader, focusing on language accessibility, without sacrificing complexity of plot.)
This is actually the second novel I've read about a young husky/chubby/fat gay boy with the title Cub, and I want to take a second to celebrate that, too. Jeff Mann's Cub is far more NA and overtly erotic, but I just love that there are multiple options for young queer cubs to see themselves in fiction.
Theo's head-space about his own body isn't positive at the start of the book, and honestly that was one of the things that dropped me right into the verisimilitude of his character as a reader: lord knows as a teen the last thing I would ever have felt about any part of my body was pride. He wants to be what he's been told is handsome, and that doesn't include having a belly—and let's be honest, that's the loudest message from pretty much everyone, within and without of the queer community (and especially within). Theo's queerness is at no point the issue of the book; rather, it's confidence and self-image that's wearing on him, told through a queer lens. It's painful to read Theo's thoughts about himself and his body, but it's not surprising.
While his best friend Di is a voice against this tirade of "what's hot" (and thereby what isn't), the moment Theo meets his first bear (a bearded drag queen) cracks the first few chips in this mentality, and that character does a really solid job of representing the bear community, which often get glossed over or missed in queer fictions. (Oddly enough, when I came out and ended up flying solo, it was the bears and drag queens who helped me get on my feet, so I have a soft place in my heart for seeing them done so well in fiction, especially YA, where the chorus of "but think of the children!" so often drowns out the realities of queerness behind hatreds cloaked in so-called compassion).
Even though he's seventeen, Theo is a strong baker (and a solid cook, too), and Di puts his name in the hat for a local cooking competition in Toronto run by a gay chef of some renown (and definite good looks). When he's chosen to compete, Theo has to face down more than a few who'd dismiss him based on his looks alone. There's some ruthlessly on-point discussion of him not being "the right brand" and frankly I wanted to punch the organizers, especially since it was way too plausible, and it's the efforts of the drag queen bear alongside Theo's own skill with food that gets him in the competition.
What follows are two plot threads: Theo in the competition, trying to decide how far to push things with themes and ingredients and the one place where his confidence really does shine: the kitchen. This is a welcome part of the dichotomy: confidence isn't universal, and I loved seeing Theo shift into this mode, where even when tempted to take an easy way out he realizes he'd rather go down swinging, a scene that dovetails with the other plot thread.
The second plot thread is by fare more daring for a YA, but I really appreciated it: the head chef of the restaurant (the aforementioned good looking gay fellow, who is married to one of the people who were snarking at Theo about his 'brand' image) flatters and pay attention to Theo when he's most vulnerable, and right off it's clear that this isn't okay, and that it's born from positive press Theo is garnering in the cooking contest. Theo is flattered, of course, and makes some pretty terrible choices (I mean, he's seventeen), but the crux of the matter hits when Theo tries to slow things down once the chef's husband also gets involved in a three-way make-out session and they try to cajole him into doing more than he's ready for (they pressure him, and the scene could easily have turned to an outright assault were he not rescued by the arrival of the drag queen bear).
Content-wise, and descriptives-wise, this is handled with the reader in mind, and honestly, if I time-travel back to my own queer youth, I would have appreciated the hell out of this book. A gay teen who being purposefully misled by the first people to show him sexual attraction is not a storyline I ever encountered (though there were plenty of these stories told about young women learning a similar lesson) and as a queer kid the underlying message would have hit home. Theo realizes he's in over his head, Theo realizes the negatives outweigh the positives of feeling even a mixed good in the moment, and at no point do the grown men come across as positive or genuine, just manipulative and cruel (and, more, there's an obvious counterpoint scene with the drag queen bear that follows to underscore all of the above with his kindness and compassion and clear boundaries).
Young queer me would have loved to see something that complex and real on the page. That it's written for hi-lo readers is an added bonus, to my mind. The convergence of these two threads: the cooking competition and the chef-and-husband trying to outright manipulate (and assault) Theo for the sake of the buzz he has generated in the contest come together into a solid whole. More, though it's a tiny scene as an aside, Theo pays forward his own lesson, checking in with the next person he sees the chef-and-husband paying attention to.
Cub is a great example of how there's so much authors can do when filling a story with more than one or two queer characters, especially when telling a queer story for queer readers, by having queer antagonists and not feeding into the bad rep we so often see elsewhere. We get four other contest members (granted, two of which are mean to Theo, yes, but the other two are not, and one flat-out has his back in a bad moment) as well as the drag queen bear character I couldn't have loved more. And there's even an adorable gay-boy fan in the audience. When you populate the world with queer characters, the result is the opposite of bad rep: the reality is there are manipulative, awful queer men in the world among those who aren't, but so often the queer-coding of villains means the only queerness in the story is villainous. Cub doesn't make that mistake at all, instead speaking to finding those who will treat you well.
(I should maybe start by saying if you don't know what a hi-lo book is, it's a high-interest, low-reading level book, meaning it's accessible without speaking down to the reader, focusing on language accessibility, without sacrificing complexity of plot.)
This is actually the second novel I've read about a young husky/chubby/fat gay boy with the title Cub, and I want to take a second to celebrate that, too. Jeff Mann's Cub is far more NA and overtly erotic, but I just love that there are multiple options for young queer cubs to see themselves in fiction.
Theo's head-space about his own body isn't positive at the start of the book, and honestly that was one of the things that dropped me right into the verisimilitude of his character as a reader: lord knows as a teen the last thing I would ever have felt about any part of my body was pride. He wants to be what he's been told is handsome, and that doesn't include having a belly—and let's be honest, that's the loudest message from pretty much everyone, within and without of the queer community (and especially within). Theo's queerness is at no point the issue of the book; rather, it's confidence and self-image that's wearing on him, told through a queer lens. It's painful to read Theo's thoughts about himself and his body, but it's not surprising.
While his best friend Di is a voice against this tirade of "what's hot" (and thereby what isn't), the moment Theo meets his first bear (a bearded drag queen) cracks the first few chips in this mentality, and that character does a really solid job of representing the bear community, which often get glossed over or missed in queer fictions. (Oddly enough, when I came out and ended up flying solo, it was the bears and drag queens who helped me get on my feet, so I have a soft place in my heart for seeing them done so well in fiction, especially YA, where the chorus of "but think of the children!" so often drowns out the realities of queerness behind hatreds cloaked in so-called compassion).
Even though he's seventeen, Theo is a strong baker (and a solid cook, too), and Di puts his name in the hat for a local cooking competition in Toronto run by a gay chef of some renown (and definite good looks). When he's chosen to compete, Theo has to face down more than a few who'd dismiss him based on his looks alone. There's some ruthlessly on-point discussion of him not being "the right brand" and frankly I wanted to punch the organizers, especially since it was way too plausible, and it's the efforts of the drag queen bear alongside Theo's own skill with food that gets him in the competition.
What follows are two plot threads: Theo in the competition, trying to decide how far to push things with themes and ingredients and the one place where his confidence really does shine: the kitchen. This is a welcome part of the dichotomy: confidence isn't universal, and I loved seeing Theo shift into this mode, where even when tempted to take an easy way out he realizes he'd rather go down swinging, a scene that dovetails with the other plot thread.
The second plot thread is by fare more daring for a YA, but I really appreciated it: the head chef of the restaurant (the aforementioned good looking gay fellow, who is married to one of the people who were snarking at Theo about his 'brand' image) flatters and pay attention to Theo when he's most vulnerable, and right off it's clear that this isn't okay, and that it's born from positive press Theo is garnering in the cooking contest. Theo is flattered, of course, and makes some pretty terrible choices (I mean, he's seventeen), but the crux of the matter hits when Theo tries to slow things down once the chef's husband also gets involved in a three-way make-out session and they try to cajole him into doing more than he's ready for (they pressure him, and the scene could easily have turned to an outright assault were he not rescued by the arrival of the drag queen bear).
Content-wise, and descriptives-wise, this is handled with the reader in mind, and honestly, if I time-travel back to my own queer youth, I would have appreciated the hell out of this book. A gay teen who being purposefully misled by the first people to show him sexual attraction is not a storyline I ever encountered (though there were plenty of these stories told about young women learning a similar lesson) and as a queer kid the underlying message would have hit home. Theo realizes he's in over his head, Theo realizes the negatives outweigh the positives of feeling even a mixed good in the moment, and at no point do the grown men come across as positive or genuine, just manipulative and cruel (and, more, there's an obvious counterpoint scene with the drag queen bear that follows to underscore all of the above with his kindness and compassion and clear boundaries).
Young queer me would have loved to see something that complex and real on the page. That it's written for hi-lo readers is an added bonus, to my mind. The convergence of these two threads: the cooking competition and the chef-and-husband trying to outright manipulate (and assault) Theo for the sake of the buzz he has generated in the contest come together into a solid whole. More, though it's a tiny scene as an aside, Theo pays forward his own lesson, checking in with the next person he sees the chef-and-husband paying attention to.
Cub is a great example of how there's so much authors can do when filling a story with more than one or two queer characters, especially when telling a queer story for queer readers, by having queer antagonists and not feeding into the bad rep we so often see elsewhere. We get four other contest members (granted, two of which are mean to Theo, yes, but the other two are not, and one flat-out has his back in a bad moment) as well as the drag queen bear character I couldn't have loved more. And there's even an adorable gay-boy fan in the audience. When you populate the world with queer characters, the result is the opposite of bad rep: the reality is there are manipulative, awful queer men in the world among those who aren't, but so often the queer-coding of villains means the only queerness in the story is villainous. Cub doesn't make that mistake at all, instead speaking to finding those who will treat you well.
January 31, 2019
phew. wow. where to begin.
okay, a bit of background: this book is a hi/lo (high interest, low reading level) book geared towards teens who are struggling readers. the sentences are short, the words are easy, and the action moves quickly. that's great! we need books geared towards that audience! unfortunately, i had a lot of issues with this one.
i'm gonna start off by saying that i almost straight-up stopped reading after chapter one. we're introduced to main character theo and his best friend (who calls herself his "hag," despite the fact that theo says he hates it), di. in her introduction, di is described as having micro braids, which i took as an indicator that di is black. at the end of chapter one, theo and di are joking around and theo gets playfully angry at her and says "i'm not making you brownies, i'm making you a noose!" .....i literally said "what the f--k" out loud to myself alone in my room. we never get a good description of di, so i'm still unsure if she is black (in which case WOW THAT'S RACIST) or if she's just a white girl with an appropriative hairstyle.
reading from theo's perspective is just.......a real downer. he criticizes his appearance non-stop, always talking about how fat he is and that he's ugly and no one will ever be attracted to him. this might be relateable to teens with body issues, but it's also.....not fun to read.
the restaurant owner (and one of the main characters) is named KCC, so you have to get used to reading that acronym on every page.
the word "cub" is never defined within the text, so that reference could be confusing to readers who are new to the lgbt community.
theo made crepe enchiladas for his first dish in the cooking competition. please don't sully enchiladas in this way.
okay, getting into spoilers, and the absolute wildest parts of this book:
okay, a bit of background: this book is a hi/lo (high interest, low reading level) book geared towards teens who are struggling readers. the sentences are short, the words are easy, and the action moves quickly. that's great! we need books geared towards that audience! unfortunately, i had a lot of issues with this one.
i'm gonna start off by saying that i almost straight-up stopped reading after chapter one. we're introduced to main character theo and his best friend (who calls herself his "hag," despite the fact that theo says he hates it), di. in her introduction, di is described as having micro braids, which i took as an indicator that di is black. at the end of chapter one, theo and di are joking around and theo gets playfully angry at her and says "i'm not making you brownies, i'm making you a noose!" .....i literally said "what the f--k" out loud to myself alone in my room. we never get a good description of di, so i'm still unsure if she is black (in which case WOW THAT'S RACIST) or if she's just a white girl with an appropriative hairstyle.
reading from theo's perspective is just.......a real downer. he criticizes his appearance non-stop, always talking about how fat he is and that he's ugly and no one will ever be attracted to him. this might be relateable to teens with body issues, but it's also.....not fun to read.
the restaurant owner (and one of the main characters) is named KCC, so you have to get used to reading that acronym on every page.
the word "cub" is never defined within the text, so that reference could be confusing to readers who are new to the lgbt community.
theo made crepe enchiladas for his first dish in the cooking competition. please don't sully enchiladas in this way.
okay, getting into spoilers, and the absolute wildest parts of this book:
February 4, 2019
Yikes. Predatory much? Two (maybe three) middle-aged men sexually assaulting the 17-year-old protagonist.
December 25, 2018
This is a solid yet short debut. I thought it was a good coming of age story. Even if I would have loved to see certain aspects fleshed out more. Loved the setting of a food contest similar to like a chopped or iron chef set up but just way gayer. The main character is the strongest part of this story for me. I wanted to go on this journey with Theo and see how he gets through it and what he takes away from it all in the end. Going into more thoughts below.
=====================================================
Theo was relatable in a lot of ways. The insecurities he had were ones I absolutely experience as a teenager. That felt realistic. Even when people are telling you something positive about you constantly. You still second guess yourself. I felt that.
I was worried how the story would handle the admiration Theo gets from the chef running the competition. That worry kinda sustained for a lot of this. It's always rough in these stories when you see older men acting predatorily to younger men. With Theo being 17 it was even more of a concern and something I could, unfortunately, relate to.
I do think it's ultimately handled well. Not that it is easy to deal with in the moment when reading it. The way that Theo feels throughout those interactions. How he likes being admired. Feeling wanted for the first time. That is something that can easily get you to make choices that you wouldn't otherwise. I liked that the mixed feelings he had about what was going on was there and you could see why he wasn't fighting things as much as part of him wanted to at times.
With Theo, there is some great growth over the course of the story. His insecurities about his body are shown throughout. He sees a slim guy and thinks that guy would never be interested in someone like me. He worries about what people watching the contest will think about him. I did want to see more of the development it, though. I felt like a step was skipped. More in Theo's head would have helped with that. Seeing how he gets to where he is on the last page of the story. Show more of the gradual change that is happening for him. Still, I appreciate what Paul tries to do with Theo here.
There is some time jumps between the rounds of the competition. I think something in between there would have flushed out that development more. Maybe also gave us more time with side characters like Mama Bear and Di who I don't feel were utilized enough in the story. Especially Di.
I loved the cooking rounds by the way. It was so fun reading Theo's process in the first two rounds. I'd read a whole romance set throughout a cooking contest now honestly. You could really tell the author is also a lover of cooking. Those parts flew by. It was like action scenes. They really pulled me in.
This was a great story.
=====================================================
Theo was relatable in a lot of ways. The insecurities he had were ones I absolutely experience as a teenager. That felt realistic. Even when people are telling you something positive about you constantly. You still second guess yourself. I felt that.
I was worried how the story would handle the admiration Theo gets from the chef running the competition. That worry kinda sustained for a lot of this. It's always rough in these stories when you see older men acting predatorily to younger men. With Theo being 17 it was even more of a concern and something I could, unfortunately, relate to.
I do think it's ultimately handled well. Not that it is easy to deal with in the moment when reading it. The way that Theo feels throughout those interactions. How he likes being admired. Feeling wanted for the first time. That is something that can easily get you to make choices that you wouldn't otherwise. I liked that the mixed feelings he had about what was going on was there and you could see why he wasn't fighting things as much as part of him wanted to at times.
With Theo, there is some great growth over the course of the story. His insecurities about his body are shown throughout. He sees a slim guy and thinks that guy would never be interested in someone like me. He worries about what people watching the contest will think about him. I did want to see more of the development it, though. I felt like a step was skipped. More in Theo's head would have helped with that. Seeing how he gets to where he is on the last page of the story. Show more of the gradual change that is happening for him. Still, I appreciate what Paul tries to do with Theo here.
There is some time jumps between the rounds of the competition. I think something in between there would have flushed out that development more. Maybe also gave us more time with side characters like Mama Bear and Di who I don't feel were utilized enough in the story. Especially Di.
I loved the cooking rounds by the way. It was so fun reading Theo's process in the first two rounds. I'd read a whole romance set throughout a cooking contest now honestly. You could really tell the author is also a lover of cooking. Those parts flew by. It was like action scenes. They really pulled me in.
This was a great story.
August 16, 2019
I mean, this is a typical Orca book (hi-lo). Fast paced, super resolved ending, predictable plot. That being said, I think these books are super important to continue publishing and have available for reluctant readers. They hook you from the beginning and deal with issues that aren't in a lot of other YA fiction. Best book ever? Absolutely not. Important in its own way? Yes.
December 8, 2018
Cute quick read. Theo is a pudgy high school student who loves to cook. His best friend enters him in a cooking contest at a restaurant run by a local star chef. Theo finds himself in several situations that he is not prepared for but also steps up and takes a stand for himself. Nice coming of age story about an adorable gay teen. Short and sweet! Thanks to NG for the ARC!
July 1, 2019
Full disclosure: I’m a gay man in his early fifties so I’m not the target audience for this book. I was surprised by the mature subject matter but I’m glad there are books out there for young queer kids to learn about dating. There’s not a lot there to prepare the realities of queer relationships. Some funny ones-liners and a great cast of supporting characters. A solid read.
January 26, 2019
Cub is a short LGBTQ young adult novel that follows a seventeen-year-old chubby young man named Theo who loves to bake and is quite good at it. He dreams of attending culinary school and opening up his own bakery one day. Knowing that Theo is an excellent baker and deserves recognition, his best friend Di enters him into a cooking competition at a new trendy restaurant in Toronto called Heat. The contest will last for several weeks, with one contestant being eliminated after each weekly round. The rest of the story revolves around the competition and Theo’s interaction with the head celebrity chef KCC and the other contestants.
As Theo begins to win rounds, he attracts the attention and admiration of not only the audience who is watching the competition but also of KCC, who makes it quite clear to Theo that he’s interested in much more than Theo’s baking ability. He lets Theo know that if Theo does what KCC wants — in and out of the kitchen — then he’ll help Theo to launch his career. So now Theo has to decide just how far he’s willing to go to achieve his dreams.
We need to keep in mind here that KCC is much older than Theo — I got the impression that he was in his late 20’s or 30’s — and Theo is still a minor at seventeen. So the scene where KCC aggressively comes onto Theo was super-predatory and cringy to me, which I imagine is what the author intended.
Truth be told, one particular scene reminded me of something I personally went through when I was sixteen, so it was a tad difficult for me to read. I found it a bit upsetting and “triggery,” though I imagine it’s a difficult scene for most people to read. It definitely pulled me outside of my comfort zone.
But in spite of me feeling uncomfortable, I thought the author handled the situation extremely well and did an excellent job of portraying the range of mixed emotions that Theo experiences whenever KCC hits on him. On the one hand, here Theo is, a pudgy seventeen-year-old who has attracted the sexual attention of a gorgeous celebrity chef, one of his idols, in fact. But on the other hand, Theo feels that things are moving way too quickly and the situation feels “wrong” to him — the fact that the man is considerably older than Theo could be adding to that sense of wrongness. I thought it was riveting being in Theo’s head as he tried to sort this all out.
Though this is a short book, I thought it was an incredibly well-told story. I loved seeing Theo’s growth throughout the book, as he moved from someone with low self-esteem to someone confident and self-assured. It was lovely seeing Theo beam as he gained more and more admiration from the audience during the competition. At the beginning of the book, Theo was shy and terrified of being put into the spotlight, but by the end of the book, he was confident — master of his world — and he completed the required baking trials with finesse.
My one real niggle is that the book is too short! It’s more of a novella, coming in at 144 pages and though the story was good, it could have used some additional character development. We’re given just enough details to follow the story but I think this novel would have been richer had we delved a little more in the head of Theo, KCC, and Di.
But this short and sweet book pulled me in early, on the strength of Theo’s character, who I thought was absolutely lovable and found myself rooting for him throughout the competition and the book.
Though a couple of scenes were unsetting, the story invites readers to ask themselves whether, when placed in a similar situation, they would make the same choice as Theo. So in this way, Cub is a thought-provoking and touching story, at times poignant, at times playful but tremendously moving. Though the novel was short, it packed a punch. It was an engaging novella, and I found it easy to become invested in the outcome. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author. Recommended!
A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review originally appeared on my blog at rogersreads.com
As Theo begins to win rounds, he attracts the attention and admiration of not only the audience who is watching the competition but also of KCC, who makes it quite clear to Theo that he’s interested in much more than Theo’s baking ability. He lets Theo know that if Theo does what KCC wants — in and out of the kitchen — then he’ll help Theo to launch his career. So now Theo has to decide just how far he’s willing to go to achieve his dreams.
We need to keep in mind here that KCC is much older than Theo — I got the impression that he was in his late 20’s or 30’s — and Theo is still a minor at seventeen. So the scene where KCC aggressively comes onto Theo was super-predatory and cringy to me, which I imagine is what the author intended.
Truth be told, one particular scene reminded me of something I personally went through when I was sixteen, so it was a tad difficult for me to read. I found it a bit upsetting and “triggery,” though I imagine it’s a difficult scene for most people to read. It definitely pulled me outside of my comfort zone.
But in spite of me feeling uncomfortable, I thought the author handled the situation extremely well and did an excellent job of portraying the range of mixed emotions that Theo experiences whenever KCC hits on him. On the one hand, here Theo is, a pudgy seventeen-year-old who has attracted the sexual attention of a gorgeous celebrity chef, one of his idols, in fact. But on the other hand, Theo feels that things are moving way too quickly and the situation feels “wrong” to him — the fact that the man is considerably older than Theo could be adding to that sense of wrongness. I thought it was riveting being in Theo’s head as he tried to sort this all out.
Though this is a short book, I thought it was an incredibly well-told story. I loved seeing Theo’s growth throughout the book, as he moved from someone with low self-esteem to someone confident and self-assured. It was lovely seeing Theo beam as he gained more and more admiration from the audience during the competition. At the beginning of the book, Theo was shy and terrified of being put into the spotlight, but by the end of the book, he was confident — master of his world — and he completed the required baking trials with finesse.
My one real niggle is that the book is too short! It’s more of a novella, coming in at 144 pages and though the story was good, it could have used some additional character development. We’re given just enough details to follow the story but I think this novel would have been richer had we delved a little more in the head of Theo, KCC, and Di.
But this short and sweet book pulled me in early, on the strength of Theo’s character, who I thought was absolutely lovable and found myself rooting for him throughout the competition and the book.
Though a couple of scenes were unsetting, the story invites readers to ask themselves whether, when placed in a similar situation, they would make the same choice as Theo. So in this way, Cub is a thought-provoking and touching story, at times poignant, at times playful but tremendously moving. Though the novel was short, it packed a punch. It was an engaging novella, and I found it easy to become invested in the outcome. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author. Recommended!
A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review originally appeared on my blog at rogersreads.com
January 11, 2019
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley*
Cub is a hi-lo (high interest, low reading level) short novel about 17-year-old Theo, an aspiring baker. Theo has serious talent in the kitchen, but he also has low self-esteem, largely a result of his internalized negative views about his weight. He worries that he won’t ever find a boyfriend because appearances are taken so seriously in the gay community.
His best friend Di thinks Theo needs some external validation to get him out of his shell, so she enters him in a cooking competition at a trendy new restaurant. The cooking competition, which runs for several weeks with one contestant eliminated after each round, is the backbone of the story and is really the highlight. Each cooking scene was really engaging and definitely also made me hungry!
To be honest, if Cub focused entirely on the cooking competition – if all the drama was about who would be eliminated, if Theo would progress through the contest, and if he would get an internship to keep reaching towards his professional goal – I would have given this four or five stars.
But the lengths the sexual harassment subplot went to definitely dimmed my enjoyment of the book, which was a shame because I really liked the cooking competition and seeing how Theo grew both personally and professionally during it. Overall, I'd give this 3.5 stars.
My full review can be found at: https://almostalmost.wordpress.com/20...
Cub is a hi-lo (high interest, low reading level) short novel about 17-year-old Theo, an aspiring baker. Theo has serious talent in the kitchen, but he also has low self-esteem, largely a result of his internalized negative views about his weight. He worries that he won’t ever find a boyfriend because appearances are taken so seriously in the gay community.
His best friend Di thinks Theo needs some external validation to get him out of his shell, so she enters him in a cooking competition at a trendy new restaurant. The cooking competition, which runs for several weeks with one contestant eliminated after each round, is the backbone of the story and is really the highlight. Each cooking scene was really engaging and definitely also made me hungry!
To be honest, if Cub focused entirely on the cooking competition – if all the drama was about who would be eliminated, if Theo would progress through the contest, and if he would get an internship to keep reaching towards his professional goal – I would have given this four or five stars.
But the lengths the sexual harassment subplot went to definitely dimmed my enjoyment of the book, which was a shame because I really liked the cooking competition and seeing how Theo grew both personally and professionally during it. Overall, I'd give this 3.5 stars.
My full review can be found at: https://almostalmost.wordpress.com/20...
January 2, 2019
*spoiler alert* I am on the fence about the rating for this book. Parts of it were really good, but other's not so much.
I know that these series of books are primarily aimed at YA and social issues, but what worked best in this story were the parts dealing with Theo and his love of cooking/baking. Having him compete in a "Chopped" type of environment was a great idea and I loved reading all the excellent food ideas he had.
The author was great at not dwelling on too many details, especially when it came to the cooking, but rather gave us just enough information to a) follow the story and b) make your mouth water.
What did not work? the sexual harassment. Yes, it is certainly an important topic, but it felt gratuitous in this story and not completely believable. As I mentioned before, I would have enjoyed this book so much more if the story had focused solely on Theo and his desire to win the cooking competition.
His friend Di was interesting, but we did not get enough of her backstory.
Overall, a good book that could have been better.
I know that these series of books are primarily aimed at YA and social issues, but what worked best in this story were the parts dealing with Theo and his love of cooking/baking. Having him compete in a "Chopped" type of environment was a great idea and I loved reading all the excellent food ideas he had.
The author was great at not dwelling on too many details, especially when it came to the cooking, but rather gave us just enough information to a) follow the story and b) make your mouth water.
What did not work? the sexual harassment. Yes, it is certainly an important topic, but it felt gratuitous in this story and not completely believable. As I mentioned before, I would have enjoyed this book so much more if the story had focused solely on Theo and his desire to win the cooking competition.
His friend Di was interesting, but we did not get enough of her backstory.
Overall, a good book that could have been better.
January 8, 2019
I really enjoyed reading Cub. Not only is it an entertaining story, it also addresses a number of very common issues young gay men experience. As YA fiction with the potential to influence young readers, I had only wished it would have taken an extra step to have Theo actually come to some important realizations-- not just experience them.
The plot of the book is fueled by two things I hate that occur frequently in the LGBTQ community: 'bitchy, judging queens' and narcissistic predatory behavior. Both are well illustrated here. The other issue addressed that I really appreciated was that of weight and self-image. All are issues that we can't discuss enough.
Theo's friend Di could have used a little more development. What could have been a fascinating character, ended up being more of a plot device.
The competition story was a great idea and fit perfectly with the issues being discussed.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The plot of the book is fueled by two things I hate that occur frequently in the LGBTQ community: 'bitchy, judging queens' and narcissistic predatory behavior. Both are well illustrated here. The other issue addressed that I really appreciated was that of weight and self-image. All are issues that we can't discuss enough.
Theo's friend Di could have used a little more development. What could have been a fascinating character, ended up being more of a plot device.
The competition story was a great idea and fit perfectly with the issues being discussed.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2022
So this book was about this high school kid named Theo who was a very good cook but didn't realize how good he really was, Also he was very insecure about his body. But his friend entered him into a cooking
competition. And he made it to the final round, but the only reason he lost is that he wouldn't let the head of the cooking show touch him innapropratley and he did not like that so Theo would lose in the final round.
I really enjoyed this book because it was very suspenseful and I never knew what to expect next It was very easy to understand and was not confusing at all and it was a very good story to read overall, I wished the book didn't leave us on a cliffhanger because I was very interested and wanted to know what was gonna happen next.
Overall I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a shorter book but is still very interesting to read!
competition. And he made it to the final round, but the only reason he lost is that he wouldn't let the head of the cooking show touch him innapropratley and he did not like that so Theo would lose in the final round.
I really enjoyed this book because it was very suspenseful and I never knew what to expect next It was very easy to understand and was not confusing at all and it was a very good story to read overall, I wished the book didn't leave us on a cliffhanger because I was very interested and wanted to know what was gonna happen next.
Overall I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a shorter book but is still very interesting to read!
February 23, 2019
I’m only giving this book four stars because I want it to be longer. I want to know more about Theo — to be in his head and get more of his life at school and his personal reflections on the competition.
When I was first reading and grasping the fact that the main character being seventeen and about to be romantically involved with older men, I wanted to stop reading. I was mad at the situation happening to a young man who didn’t want these things to really happen. But at the same time, these things happen. And it brings validity to those that want to have their experiences, however traumatic, validated. In the end, it’s a positive message of resilience. Under pressure, love wins out and there is justice.
When I was first reading and grasping the fact that the main character being seventeen and about to be romantically involved with older men, I wanted to stop reading. I was mad at the situation happening to a young man who didn’t want these things to really happen. But at the same time, these things happen. And it brings validity to those that want to have their experiences, however traumatic, validated. In the end, it’s a positive message of resilience. Under pressure, love wins out and there is justice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 27, 2021It was hard not to devour this delicious read in one bite! A quick read with strong, fully developed characters, this HiLo book for young adults breaks stereotypes and boundaries. I was surprised with some of the explicit content, and hesitate offering it to my younger high school students although many will relate to Theo's insecurities about his body. My favorite character is Theo's best friend, Di a strong girl with curves who's beauty and confidence are all rolled up in the perfect sidekick to motivate and encourage Theo to continue in a competition he wasn't sure he wanted to be a part of in the first place. A high-intensity read, a sprinkle of romance and a dash of friendship with a pinch of glam make this book a great read for an older teen.
January 28, 2020
My reviews are a way for me to express how I feel about the book I read. My daughter discovers this books as quick read and most of the books under this banner I have enjoyed.
This one I liked the idea of a young man who is a chef competing to win a chance at living his dream of being a pastry chef.
I enjoyed reading about the cooking competition, loved his best friend ( outspoken loud fashionista ) and it is a fast read.
I felt squeamish when 3 grown men take advantage of a 17 yr old who is self-conscious about his body and has low self esteem.
This one I liked the idea of a young man who is a chef competing to win a chance at living his dream of being a pastry chef.
I enjoyed reading about the cooking competition, loved his best friend ( outspoken loud fashionista ) and it is a fast read.
I felt squeamish when 3 grown men take advantage of a 17 yr old who is self-conscious about his body and has low self esteem.
August 22, 2019
As someone who works with a lot of teens in the LGBTQ+ community, I know this book will forge a strong connection. It explores self-worth and self-identity and has the ever-so-fun plot element of a cooking competition, which sweeps the reader up in its excitement. Cub is a very likable and sympathetic character. This is a story about characters who are gay, but it's not a coming out story and it's not a story about character struggling with their sexual identity—they are just simply who they are, and that's a refreshing breath of fresh air!
November 2, 2020
I loved this book. As a Hi-Lo book designed to draw reluctant readers to the page, it has quick-moving action and high interest with easier-to-read sentences and pages. The story follows the efforts of a likeable gay teen in his efforts to achieve success in a cooking contest, while accepting his body image. There are powerful messages for all teen readers, including how easy it is to find yourself on the wrong side of a power imbalance and how important it is to own the moment for yourself. Highly recommend!
May 1, 2019
YA Hi/Lo written with great heart, CUB stars body conscious Theo and his aspirations to become a baker. A fresh and action packed cooking competition plot effectively carries the heavier theme of Theo being targeted by sexual predators. What I most appreciated was the raw, honest and unflinching glimpse of a young gay teen, struggling to find his true self-worth. Characters Theo, Di and Mama Bear are endearing and you love to hate KCC. I hope to read more from Coccia after this promising debut.
April 11, 2020
While this book depicts a gay predatory relationship, I felt it resounded with me as the kind of power dynamic work relationships that occurred when I was as a young pretty girl out in my early working days. First you’re flattered by the attention from older successful people,then you feel pressured and you’re forced into making decisions. But it’s not all problem novel, there’s great dialogue, friendship and fun as well as baking!A lot of great stuff in a short space. Good for discussions.
June 30, 2020
So refreshing to read a YA novel where the fact that the main character is gay is NOT the main issue. It's not a torturous coming out story - Theo just happens to be gay. Now let's get on with that REAL story.
The voices sounded true and the plot clips along at a nice fast pace that is typical in the hi-lo genre.
A very enjoyable read that will make you hungry for more from this first-time author.
The voices sounded true and the plot clips along at a nice fast pace that is typical in the hi-lo genre.
A very enjoyable read that will make you hungry for more from this first-time author.
September 17, 2020
I read this YA book in one sitting - thoroughly enjoyed. CUB is part of Orca's Soundings series: short, high-interest novels for teens. Themes in CUB include LGBTQ+, body positivity and more, a great way to jumpstart discussions about difficult subjects as well as encouraging readers to recognize and being proactive in handling toxic behavior. Also, the cooking/baking descriptions made me SO HUNGRY.
May 24, 2021
I liked this hi-lo novel for YA. It started out sweet and cute with a likeable main character, Theo who is a gay teen struggling with body image issues. Theo is also an aspiring pastry chef who becomes a contestant in a local cooking contest.
The story gets a little darker as Theo struggles with confusion as attractive older men begin to prey on him. For a short novel, this novel tackles a lot- body image/shaming, consent, coming-of-age, and friendship
The story gets a little darker as Theo struggles with confusion as attractive older men begin to prey on him. For a short novel, this novel tackles a lot- body image/shaming, consent, coming-of-age, and friendship
December 18, 2019
A quick read. Some important messages about self esteem; learning to have confidence in your abilities, and learning whose opinion matters.
I love cooking competitions. I only wish there were more descriptions of what Theo's competitors made.
I love cooking competitions. I only wish there were more descriptions of what Theo's competitors made.
January 5, 2019
A light read with an important message about being yourself. This showed up in the new books at my library and made me happy to see.
May 16, 2019
I think a book with this sort of situation is important for teens and young adults to read, but I do not think it was well written and it felt more didactic than a smoothly written story.
January 11, 2020
A real page turner. Vivid, exciting and very relevant.
January 27, 2020
This is a high interest lower level text. It tackles a lot of issues relevant to the LGBTQ+ community. It was really enjoyable as a short, cooking focused text!
April 11, 2020
funny and sweet. poignant and mouth-watering. i loved it!
May 3, 2020
Quick story that had me feeling the heat & pressure.
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