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Cub
Not every gay teen yearns for fashion and popular culture. Some boys are pure country folk and like the feel of flannel and the smell of the farm. And they're neither lithe nor muscle-bound but stocky boys, the ones who develop hairy chests, arms, and faces years earlier than their peers. One such seventeen-year-old is Travis Ferrell, shy among most of the other kids at school, but proud of his West Virginia roots. He has not yet admitted his passion for handsome guys--and his idea of what handsome is and what handsome does is not much different from him. Soon he'll learn that he's not unique; gay culture has a name for young men like him. Cubs. Lambda Literary Award-winning author Jeff Mann has written a touching romance for the outsider in us all.
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First published February 1, 2014
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About the author
Jeff Mann
105 books89 followersJeff Mann’s poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in many publications, including Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah, Laurel Review and The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. He has published three award-winning poetry chapbooks, Bliss, Mountain Fireflies, and Flint Shards from Sussex; two full-length books of poetry, Bones Washed with Wine and On the Tongue; a collection of personal essays, Edge: Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear; a book of poetry and memoir, Loving Mountains, Loving Men; and a short fiction volume, A History of Barbed Wire, which won a Lambda Literary Award. He teaches creative writing at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 12, 2014
In a word, Cub was superb.
The vast majority of small-town gay young tales generally involve the city as the goal. In Cub, you won’t find the typical gay kid desperate to escape the farm for the bright lights of the city. Instead, you meet Travis: someone not at odds with his rural upbringing, a poet and a passionate young man who isn’t like any youth I’ve read in gay young adult literature before.
Travis is gay, yes, but he’s also worried that his unfulfilled penchant for kink might mean he’s on the path to becoming a sociopath. He’s burly and hairy and strong, not smooth and slim and toned. He longs to have power over others and yet terrified of never finding someone to protect. He’s angry, horny, frustrated and confused, and well aware that the world doesn’t want him the way he is.
In other words, he’s seventeen.
I can't praise the psychology of this book enough. There's such a visceral reality to the thoughts and feelings in Travis. Added to the layer of "otherness" all queer kids face is his yearning for the rough/tender world of BDSM, and his intensity is brilliantly handled. This is Mann at his finest, and the potential relationship that builds in Cub is deftly handled.
Lyrical and possessing that raw honesty, Cub should be the next gay young adult bestseller. Most importantly, with Travis, Mann has given a voice to youth who haven’t found themselves in the gay young adult books that have come before.
The vast majority of small-town gay young tales generally involve the city as the goal. In Cub, you won’t find the typical gay kid desperate to escape the farm for the bright lights of the city. Instead, you meet Travis: someone not at odds with his rural upbringing, a poet and a passionate young man who isn’t like any youth I’ve read in gay young adult literature before.
Travis is gay, yes, but he’s also worried that his unfulfilled penchant for kink might mean he’s on the path to becoming a sociopath. He’s burly and hairy and strong, not smooth and slim and toned. He longs to have power over others and yet terrified of never finding someone to protect. He’s angry, horny, frustrated and confused, and well aware that the world doesn’t want him the way he is.
In other words, he’s seventeen.
I can't praise the psychology of this book enough. There's such a visceral reality to the thoughts and feelings in Travis. Added to the layer of "otherness" all queer kids face is his yearning for the rough/tender world of BDSM, and his intensity is brilliantly handled. This is Mann at his finest, and the potential relationship that builds in Cub is deftly handled.
Lyrical and possessing that raw honesty, Cub should be the next gay young adult bestseller. Most importantly, with Travis, Mann has given a voice to youth who haven’t found themselves in the gay young adult books that have come before.
could-not-finish
October 5, 2017 Read up to 50%
Nice characters
Nice food
Nice writing
Lots of hair - not a problem
Good Wiccans
Bad Baptists
unable to make myself continue at the moment
Nice characters
Nice food
Nice writing
Lots of hair - not a problem
Good Wiccans
Bad Baptists
unable to make myself continue at the moment
April 23, 2014
This author was very good at making me feel the environment around me in the book. The descriptions of the look and smell of physical things were all around me, and I could almost TASTE that coconut cream pie:-)
Also the depiction of the environment felt very authentic to me, and it gave me a good picture of small town USA, in this case, West Virginia, and the country life the MC Travis leads.
Travis lives on a farm together with only his grandmother, since his parent are currently working abroad. He has his group of friends in the beginning of the book, but since they leave for university, Travis is left all alone. After a run-in with the local bully, Travis decides he needs to turn his baby-fat into baby-iron, and also wants to learn how to defend himself.
Lucky for Travis, the local Lothario Mike can help him with this. Of course, Travis has been pining after Mike ever since he got a lift home on Mike’s motorcycle last summer…
I liked the beginning, and the initial build-up, but after a while, I started feeling like there were a lot of clichés around me.
Travis is the classic naive country boy, who is doing weal well in school and has an academic future in front of him, as well as supporting parents. Mike gets to represent the blue-collar, working class boy, who is better in sports and technical things, rather than theoretical stuff.
He comes from an abusive home, with his father being a bigoted, sleeping-around-drunk.
This I have seen and read many times, and I don’t mind. I just need something special to care more for them.
Maybe I was just not the target group for this book, I must admit the whole Bear-culture is not my favorite gay literature niche;-). It was interesting to read from an outside-looking-in perspective, but I want more from a book than that.
At times, this book felt like a manual for young guys on how not to be ashamed of your feelings, and not feel bad about yourself. It also was a perfect beginners guide for LGBT literature, since a big part of this book contains references to Catullus, Shakespeare, Alexander the Great, Sappho, and also „newer“ literature like The Fancy Dancer and The Leatherman's Handbook are mentioned;-).
Basically, if I would have been a teenage gay guy in the mid-west, this would have been perfect for me . The author is very pedagogical, explains everything, and makes sure the reader understands that all these feelings and ponderings are normal:
Another thing that made this feel like an actual YA read, was the fade-to-black sex scenes. They were built up pretty nicely, but just when it got to the good stuff…Babaaam…it’s suddenly the next morning.
This is appropriate in some stories, but when I am reading anyway about BDSM and lube and butts, I feel a bit cheated out when I miss the grand finale….
Oh, oh, but there were some Special forces flashbacks for me, which is almost worth half a star!:
About the ending
All in all, I would say that I like the message of the book, but in the end, it was just a bit too much focus on gay culture, past and present, as well as pointing out that we are all „normal“, rather than on the characters and the story (i.e. conflict building). This might sound a bit crass, but I was expecting a bit more of a „traditional“ coming-of-age romance novel, so it is all on me;-)
Also the depiction of the environment felt very authentic to me, and it gave me a good picture of small town USA, in this case, West Virginia, and the country life the MC Travis leads.
Travis lives on a farm together with only his grandmother, since his parent are currently working abroad. He has his group of friends in the beginning of the book, but since they leave for university, Travis is left all alone. After a run-in with the local bully, Travis decides he needs to turn his baby-fat into baby-iron, and also wants to learn how to defend himself.
Lucky for Travis, the local Lothario Mike can help him with this. Of course, Travis has been pining after Mike ever since he got a lift home on Mike’s motorcycle last summer…
I liked the beginning, and the initial build-up, but after a while, I started feeling like there were a lot of clichés around me.
Travis is the classic naive country boy, who is doing weal well in school and has an academic future in front of him, as well as supporting parents. Mike gets to represent the blue-collar, working class boy, who is better in sports and technical things, rather than theoretical stuff.
He comes from an abusive home, with his father being a bigoted, sleeping-around-drunk.
This I have seen and read many times, and I don’t mind. I just need something special to care more for them.
Maybe I was just not the target group for this book, I must admit the whole Bear-culture is not my favorite gay literature niche;-). It was interesting to read from an outside-looking-in perspective, but I want more from a book than that.
At times, this book felt like a manual for young guys on how not to be ashamed of your feelings, and not feel bad about yourself. It also was a perfect beginners guide for LGBT literature, since a big part of this book contains references to Catullus, Shakespeare, Alexander the Great, Sappho, and also „newer“ literature like The Fancy Dancer and The Leatherman's Handbook are mentioned;-).
Basically, if I would have been a teenage gay guy in the mid-west, this would have been perfect for me . The author is very pedagogical, explains everything, and makes sure the reader understands that all these feelings and ponderings are normal:
Another thing that made this feel like an actual YA read, was the fade-to-black sex scenes. They were built up pretty nicely, but just when it got to the good stuff…Babaaam…it’s suddenly the next morning.
This is appropriate in some stories, but when I am reading anyway about BDSM and lube and butts, I feel a bit cheated out when I miss the grand finale….
Oh, oh, but there were some Special forces flashbacks for me, which is almost worth half a star!:
About the ending
All in all, I would say that I like the message of the book, but in the end, it was just a bit too much focus on gay culture, past and present, as well as pointing out that we are all „normal“, rather than on the characters and the story (i.e. conflict building). This might sound a bit crass, but I was expecting a bit more of a „traditional“ coming-of-age romance novel, so it is all on me;-)
March 21, 2014
Jeff Mann’s Cub is a charming young adult novel with Travis, a seventeen year old young man living in a West Virginia small town, as the irresistable main character. Travis is a long haired, large, bearded poet who loves living and working on his family’s farm. He considers himself a Wiccan nerd, and he dreams of leaving for West Virginia University the following year, where he plans to join a small group of lesbian friends. Travis knows he’s gay, but he doesn’t look like most of the smooth, thin gay men he sees in most trendy media. He’s also convinced he’s fat and unattractive, and he’s conflicted about his BDSM fantasies. He strikes up a friendship with Mike, another muscular, hairy and bearded seventeen year old who’s a high school drop-out working at a garage. Mike tells Travis that they are both “cubs,” or young “bears,” and that there’s a whole subculture of gay men who love men who look like them. Mike helps Travis to feel better about himself physically, and stands with him in the face of harsh bullying and bigotry. They embark on a year of exuberant teenage sexual exploration, and fall deeply in love.
Cub is such an unusual delight, and the cover art is absolutely priceless. Mann has written a book that young gay men who may feel they don’t “fit in” with popular gay culture can read and and enjoy. They now have a splendid story to read of two teenagers who learn that gay men, similar to all people regardless of their sexual orientation, don’t come in a “one size fits all” version. There are beefy, burly, muscular and delicious gay men who are just as attractive and desirable as smooth, thin men. Mann’s depiction of Travis as a oversexed teenager who is insecure, and impatient to leave his small town for college, is pitch perfect. Mann’s Travis is an awkward, teenage dreamer who discovers that while he may be a bit different, he’s not alone and he’s most certainly worthy of love.
For Full Review See Prism Book Alliance: http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2014...
Cub is such an unusual delight, and the cover art is absolutely priceless. Mann has written a book that young gay men who may feel they don’t “fit in” with popular gay culture can read and and enjoy. They now have a splendid story to read of two teenagers who learn that gay men, similar to all people regardless of their sexual orientation, don’t come in a “one size fits all” version. There are beefy, burly, muscular and delicious gay men who are just as attractive and desirable as smooth, thin men. Mann’s depiction of Travis as a oversexed teenager who is insecure, and impatient to leave his small town for college, is pitch perfect. Mann’s Travis is an awkward, teenage dreamer who discovers that while he may be a bit different, he’s not alone and he’s most certainly worthy of love.
For Full Review See Prism Book Alliance: http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2014...
June 8, 2014
This is a lovely story about a young man growing up gay in rural Appalachia and his troubles of finsing his own path in the world and finding someone to share that journey.
It's a Coming of Age story whch can be enjoyed by young and old.
It was especially interesting to look back on this story after reading Edge: Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear which is the account of Jeff's own story.
This was the HFN he wished he could have had and is poignant because of that.
It's a Coming of Age story whch can be enjoyed by young and old.
It was especially interesting to look back on this story after reading Edge: Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear which is the account of Jeff's own story.
This was the HFN he wished he could have had and is poignant because of that.
November 8, 2014
I would have never come upon this author, and this story, if I hadn't been assigned it as reading for the Rainbow Awards. I continually stumble across novels and authors I really want to check out through this process.
The story is simple. Travis Ferrell loves living with his grandmother on the family farm in West Virginia while his parents spend a year doing consultant work in Germany. He is wonderful in school; in fact he has a scholarship to the University of West Virginia, but crowds of people really unnerve him. He wants to go to UWV, then return to the rural life. He plans to double-major in Forestry and English, and he really wants to re-hookup with his gay female friends from high school who have preceded him to college.
Things couldn't be simpler until he runs across the school scapegrace, Mike Woodson. Mike does what Travis wishes he could do: he runs with the cool crowd in school, he's athletic, rides a motorcycle, and seems to have his life together working part-time in his father's garage. Not to mention that he's handsome and muscular where Travis feels ordinary and "stocky."
Something else about Travis: he has these thoughts. He wants to tie guys up, gag them, then have his way with them. This does not fit with a good West Virginia Christian boy's upbringing at all. But he can't get those pesky ideas out of his head.
Fortunately, he and Mike bond over Travis' desire to bulk up after he is bashed by Brent Vass and his buddy, Jack Holt; the kinds of guys that a young Hart Bochner or James Spader would play in a John Hughes movie. Snotty athletes with the hangers-on who help kick a guy when he's down. Mike is cool with helping Travis, and things take off from there.
Actually, the story is so simple, and done so often, that I'm having trouble explaining why this book is so good. Travis excels in school while Mike is scraping by with shop classes. These two should be oil and water, aside from the fact both have beards, little bellies, and are hairy as the dickens. Then there are those BDSM (lite) thoughts of Travis' that Mike finds more than interesting.
This is a YA novel for people who are looking for something different from the usual angst that drives so many youth-oriented stories. I can't say it any simpler: this is a charming story that should be ordinary, and is far from it. And then there's that book cover.
Recommended for people who like their YA with a bit of a Bear twist. Or maybe people who just enjoy a well-written, somewhat out of the ordinary, coming of age story.
The story is simple. Travis Ferrell loves living with his grandmother on the family farm in West Virginia while his parents spend a year doing consultant work in Germany. He is wonderful in school; in fact he has a scholarship to the University of West Virginia, but crowds of people really unnerve him. He wants to go to UWV, then return to the rural life. He plans to double-major in Forestry and English, and he really wants to re-hookup with his gay female friends from high school who have preceded him to college.
Things couldn't be simpler until he runs across the school scapegrace, Mike Woodson. Mike does what Travis wishes he could do: he runs with the cool crowd in school, he's athletic, rides a motorcycle, and seems to have his life together working part-time in his father's garage. Not to mention that he's handsome and muscular where Travis feels ordinary and "stocky."
Something else about Travis: he has these thoughts. He wants to tie guys up, gag them, then have his way with them. This does not fit with a good West Virginia Christian boy's upbringing at all. But he can't get those pesky ideas out of his head.
Fortunately, he and Mike bond over Travis' desire to bulk up after he is bashed by Brent Vass and his buddy, Jack Holt; the kinds of guys that a young Hart Bochner or James Spader would play in a John Hughes movie. Snotty athletes with the hangers-on who help kick a guy when he's down. Mike is cool with helping Travis, and things take off from there.
Actually, the story is so simple, and done so often, that I'm having trouble explaining why this book is so good. Travis excels in school while Mike is scraping by with shop classes. These two should be oil and water, aside from the fact both have beards, little bellies, and are hairy as the dickens. Then there are those BDSM (lite) thoughts of Travis' that Mike finds more than interesting.
This is a YA novel for people who are looking for something different from the usual angst that drives so many youth-oriented stories. I can't say it any simpler: this is a charming story that should be ordinary, and is far from it. And then there's that book cover.
Recommended for people who like their YA with a bit of a Bear twist. Or maybe people who just enjoy a well-written, somewhat out of the ordinary, coming of age story.
December 30, 2015
Omigod! This was so intense. The writing was just so beautiful and poetic. There were moments when I just had to close my eyes and I can picture out everything, word for word. The scenery -- West Virginia, to the woods, every time they drove, Travis' family's farm, etc. -- is so detailed and exact. The countless food mentioned as well brought a smile to my face and a loud grumbling from my stomach. Travis and Mike were just so special, so ardently unique. The kinks were very much welcome -- wild and rough -- but at the same time romantic and cute. What's cute as well were the conversations. I thoroughly enjoyed the poetic dialogue exchanged which were given a southern drawl to it. It's very sexy. The sexual tension between MCs was so palpable and the descriptions of body parts, fetishes, and masculinity were very vivid, I stayed flushed most of the time. Themes of fighting against discrimination and of coming of age were very strong and on point. Cub is definitely a book which is genuinely special and a clear must-have, must-read.
December 17, 2014
Cub is a special gift from Jeff Mann to all young cubs out there. It is written for young adults who feel like outsiders, including the gay mainstream community. My first thought when I began reading Cub was that Mann dug deep into his own history and experience to create this young adult romance, the central character Travis Ferrell, and Travis's journey of self-discovery.
Travis is a handsome young man from a small conservative town in West Virginia. A bright thinker and budding poet, at seventeen Travis enjoys the quiet life he leads with his grandmother at their farm. Graduation is coming up and that means leaving for University and while Travis looks forward to the freedom this will bring him, he also finds himself wrestling with some deeply confusing sexual fantasies, frustrating desires, and questions about his future.
Travis knows he's gay but he is not like Martin, the one kid who came out in school and was run out of town. Travis is shy, quiet, and self-contained, more so after his best friends graduated and left town. He often feels different, as well as confused and horrified about his sexual desires and recurring fantasies to both control and protect someone of his own, and doesn't understand the intensity of the darkly passionate and tender feelings that turn him on. He is attracted to boys like beautiful mechanic Mike Woodson -- tall, strong, hairy boys who resemble him and enjoy life (and food) the way he does.
Cub is a story of discoveries and firsts -- first love and sexual experiences. Travis and Mike discover that their sexual desires and fantasies are shared, that there are others who feel the same way, and that there is nothing wrong with those desires. Mann handles the boys' introduction to kink, leather, and the Bear community slowly and with an understanding, gentle hand. There are some wonderful scenes where he uses sexual play instead of graphic scenes to illustrate the boys' explorations and sense of wonder. However, it is through conversation that all is explained with a deft hand: their deepest fears, the need to control and protect, to trust and feel safe.
Mann places plenty of realistic obstacles in the boys' way -- hiding their love, fighting school bullies and adults whose conservative views may not allow them to live the life they want, together. For Mike, it is fighting poverty, an abusive father, and an uncertain future. The boys often philosophize about life, they question, look for answers, and come up with their own conclusions. Jeff Mann's young characters have a thirst for knowledge and strong beliefs.
Jeff Mann is so talented that he can write anything and do so successfully. But young adult, you ask? Yes, he can write that too. In this case he does so with the authority of someone who has experience on the subject. Cub fills an empty space within LGBT young adult reading materials by thoroughly connecting with the outsider, identifying and soothing the fears and opening up a whole new world to young cubs. Highly recommended.
Grade: A- (4.75/5.0)
Travis is a handsome young man from a small conservative town in West Virginia. A bright thinker and budding poet, at seventeen Travis enjoys the quiet life he leads with his grandmother at their farm. Graduation is coming up and that means leaving for University and while Travis looks forward to the freedom this will bring him, he also finds himself wrestling with some deeply confusing sexual fantasies, frustrating desires, and questions about his future.
Travis knows he's gay but he is not like Martin, the one kid who came out in school and was run out of town. Travis is shy, quiet, and self-contained, more so after his best friends graduated and left town. He often feels different, as well as confused and horrified about his sexual desires and recurring fantasies to both control and protect someone of his own, and doesn't understand the intensity of the darkly passionate and tender feelings that turn him on. He is attracted to boys like beautiful mechanic Mike Woodson -- tall, strong, hairy boys who resemble him and enjoy life (and food) the way he does.
Cub is a story of discoveries and firsts -- first love and sexual experiences. Travis and Mike discover that their sexual desires and fantasies are shared, that there are others who feel the same way, and that there is nothing wrong with those desires. Mann handles the boys' introduction to kink, leather, and the Bear community slowly and with an understanding, gentle hand. There are some wonderful scenes where he uses sexual play instead of graphic scenes to illustrate the boys' explorations and sense of wonder. However, it is through conversation that all is explained with a deft hand: their deepest fears, the need to control and protect, to trust and feel safe.
Mann places plenty of realistic obstacles in the boys' way -- hiding their love, fighting school bullies and adults whose conservative views may not allow them to live the life they want, together. For Mike, it is fighting poverty, an abusive father, and an uncertain future. The boys often philosophize about life, they question, look for answers, and come up with their own conclusions. Jeff Mann's young characters have a thirst for knowledge and strong beliefs.
Jeff Mann is so talented that he can write anything and do so successfully. But young adult, you ask? Yes, he can write that too. In this case he does so with the authority of someone who has experience on the subject. Cub fills an empty space within LGBT young adult reading materials by thoroughly connecting with the outsider, identifying and soothing the fears and opening up a whole new world to young cubs. Highly recommended.
Grade: A- (4.75/5.0)
January 26, 2015
This is a great YA coming of age story unlike so many of the ones I've read before. There are no jocks or geeks here, just two loveable cubs. And what's not to love about a guy who adores his granny, passionately loves southern cooking and falls for the hot young mechanic of his dreams.
Great sweet, funny, and touching story I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I would have loved an epilogue because there's so much more I want to know about these guys. I definitely be hoping for a sequel.
Congratulations Jeff Mann on an awesome book.
Great sweet, funny, and touching story I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I would have loved an epilogue because there's so much more I want to know about these guys. I definitely be hoping for a sequel.
Congratulations Jeff Mann on an awesome book.
September 12, 2014
Adorably sweet romance between two men; perhaps almost too perfect, there being little conflict in this manly tale, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
September 20, 2022
Good book. Fabulous narration. Loved the MCs and how deeply they cared for each other. I was pretty blind going into this and as it turns out, I was not in the mood for a book set in West Virginia in the 1990s and all that goes along with life in a very rural town. So much pissed me off. So much. But kudos to the MCs and how, despite the daily shit they had to deal with, they stayed true to each other and to themselves. I probably would've gone with four stars had the ending not left me 1000% unsatisfied. I could tell it was going to end as loosely as it did but being prepared didn't make me any less displeased. I needed closure.
January 7, 2015
Brilliant. Highly recommended. The tension in the story is intense and kept me so engaged. It's beautiful to see a story about a young guy coming into his toppiness, leather, and bear (cub) identities. I love Jeff Mann's writings, sometimes a bit flowery and poetic (but I also really love that about it). My only complaint is that he wasn't super explicit with the sex scenes! I would've loved to hear more detail, instead of the fade-to-black. READ IT.
July 5, 2017
Lovely and sad
March 14, 2016
I loved this book however the abrupt ending almost makes me wish I never read it in the first place. So frustrating!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2016
God this was awful. Got to about 40% in and had to give up.
August 2, 2025
I was surprised to learn that Mann teaches English at the college level, as this book was not very well written.
I don't quite know how to classify this book. The characters are seniors in high school, and it's about self-discovery and first love and coming of age, so that should make it YA. The writing is simplistic, with lots of "As You Know, Bob" conversations. I don't know if that was intentional, in a misguided belief that YA isn't as well written as "adult" fiction. I'm not sure it would appeal to teens at all. It's historical (to my surprise; this isn't mentioned anywhere on the cover copy), set in the school year of 1990-1991. There's also rather more sex (and kinky sex) than one usually finds in YA.
I did think it was a good portrayal of a unique time and place and culture, and I liked the characters well enough. It's very much a slice of life, and I would have liked a little more about where the characters end up in the future, especially since the book is set in the "past" and therefore could easily have had an epilogue or more of hint of where these characters are in the "present" of when the book was published. I think that might have worked better for the target age group as well.
This book is, however, perfectly proofread. Unlike many other books I've read recently, there was not a single misspelled, misused, or misplaced word. Mann, writing about a farm kid, even spells baling correctly (see my review of David R. Slayton's White Trash Warlock). So, that was nice. I assume it was perfect because Mann proofread it himself and is of a generation who was still taught spelling and grammar in school.
I don't quite know how to classify this book. The characters are seniors in high school, and it's about self-discovery and first love and coming of age, so that should make it YA. The writing is simplistic, with lots of "As You Know, Bob" conversations. I don't know if that was intentional, in a misguided belief that YA isn't as well written as "adult" fiction. I'm not sure it would appeal to teens at all. It's historical (to my surprise; this isn't mentioned anywhere on the cover copy), set in the school year of 1990-1991. There's also rather more sex (and kinky sex) than one usually finds in YA.
I did think it was a good portrayal of a unique time and place and culture, and I liked the characters well enough. It's very much a slice of life, and I would have liked a little more about where the characters end up in the future, especially since the book is set in the "past" and therefore could easily have had an epilogue or more of hint of where these characters are in the "present" of when the book was published. I think that might have worked better for the target age group as well.
This book is, however, perfectly proofread. Unlike many other books I've read recently, there was not a single misspelled, misused, or misplaced word. Mann, writing about a farm kid, even spells baling correctly (see my review of David R. Slayton's White Trash Warlock). So, that was nice. I assume it was perfect because Mann proofread it himself and is of a generation who was still taught spelling and grammar in school.
January 5, 2025
Jeff Mann's book, *Cub*, was an interesting read—it's a young adult romance focused on a gay love story. The narrative follows Travis, who meets Mike, and their friendship gradually blossoms into love. The setting appears to be in the mid-1980s, and it seems to draw inspiration from the author's own coming-of-age experiences.
The book includes references to literature I read during that time, evoking memories of my own journey toward self-discovery as I transitioned into adulthood. As a bear, I can relate to growing up in the country, enjoying all the delightful southern cooking.
Travis and Mike's journey as young lovers is poignant, particularly their separation at the end, which is quite sad. I’m unsure how Mann could have concluded it differently, but it does leave room for a potential sequel—perhaps titled *Bear All Grown Up*.
The book includes references to literature I read during that time, evoking memories of my own journey toward self-discovery as I transitioned into adulthood. As a bear, I can relate to growing up in the country, enjoying all the delightful southern cooking.
Travis and Mike's journey as young lovers is poignant, particularly their separation at the end, which is quite sad. I’m unsure how Mann could have concluded it differently, but it does leave room for a potential sequel—perhaps titled *Bear All Grown Up*.
September 16, 2017
Jeff Mann has written a book for those young gay men who are inspired by Greek poets and walks in the woods instead of Beyonce and skinny jeans, making Cub is a fine, important read... It’s a book for those boys out there who have discovered that they are different from many of their friends, but who also feel the division within the subculture they thought they could identify with. Their aloneness does not cease once they’ve figured out their sexual proclivities, but knowing who they are brings even more compartmentalization. Cub lets them feel there’s room at the table for them. And I can think of no one better to write this story than Jeff Mann, whose table is as broad and wide as his heart. If this doesn’t become a classic, there’s no justice.
September 29, 2019
This was a nice coming of age story. It had alot of the stereotypes of a nerdy naive country boy and the bad boy blue collar kid with a sucky family. But it also had a great deal of character building around those stereotypes to where both Travis and Mike felt like real people. I like the fact that there were no easy answers for these two. There was no coming out with most people being cool with it or an miraculous way for Mike to be with Travis after to school. This book did an incredible job of telling a story of two young men exploring love and being gay in a small rural town. Mix into that the little bit of kink and bears and this was a excellent read.
August 12, 2022
Cub by Jeff Mann has become one of my favorite books ever and is one of those books that would have helped me accept myself growing up because of how much I see myself in the protagonist. It's a journey of self-discovery with romance and hope but also touches on serious topics and the danger of living in a homophobic place. The characters are amazing. Their interactions are beautiful and sometimes sad, all of them telling the experiences a young couple has when they need each other to survive. It's a beautiful book with an ending that hits hard but one that feels realistic and fitting for the characters. I have nothing but good things to say about this book; it's beautiful
October 10, 2019
This is an exceptionally beautiful story of hope and love. The young adults in the story are so true to life and real that I could feel everything that they were going through. I was moved to tears more than once. Taking place in the farm and backwoods of West Virginia, you really could see and feel and the location and the desperation of being gay teens in the Bible Belt. This is young love, but the discovery of self and how you can move forward into the future. Things aren't always sunshine and roses, but they aren't a Greek tragedy either. The ending was REAL.
June 5, 2024
As a gay man who grew up in the south in the 90s...this book was like my life, and a fantasy of what could have been. The descriptions of the country, the hope of finding someone who could love a place that didn't love you, the content with the BDSM. It was all so close to home, so beautifully written, and so meaningful. The ending...
"What bliss it is to love Mike, what suffering it is to lose him."
I appreciated the narrator on Audible...and the ending of the book. I won't spoil anything, but I appreciated it. Mr. Mann writes so well, and this book had my heart.
"What bliss it is to love Mike, what suffering it is to lose him."
I appreciated the narrator on Audible...and the ending of the book. I won't spoil anything, but I appreciated it. Mr. Mann writes so well, and this book had my heart.
December 18, 2017
Thank you Jeff Mann for giving us Gay, hairy, and muscular country boys wonderful books, full of characters that we can relate to. You know what it’s like to grow up Gay and country, what it is to want to be a masculine man, and want to be loved by a masculine man in return. I hope you continue writing these wonderful books. I very much look forward to reading more from you!
July 26, 2020
A mediocre read. Promising setting and plot, but dull storytelling.
February 12, 2016
(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews with a copy provided by the author / publisher for an honest review.)
I’m not 100% sure why this book popped up on our “available to review” list almost two years after its release date, but I’m happy it did. I had not read it previously and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This review is publishing two years and one day from the date of its release, so it might be a flashback for some of you, for others it will be a new book!
Travis Ferrell is a chunky nerd. A big chunky nerd, complete with a full beard and a hairy body at seventeen years old. He is very smart, but has never been athletic, has always let the jocks push him around, etc. He is also hiding a secret. He is gay. Not something that is easy to admit in public in rural West Virginia, even in the early 1990’s when the tale is set. On top of being gay, Travis also has some pretty kinky fantasies which he has never shared with anyone!
When Travis is pushed past his limit by bullies, he seeks out a gym to develop himself to handle a fight. What he finds is Mike, the son of the owner of the gym. Travis has had a secret crush on Mike for a couple years, ever since they had PE together and Travis caught sight of Mike’s furry body. You see, Travis isn’t into slim little twinks. He likes a little beef, and a lot of hair on his fantasy men. And his fantasies are about to come true.
I loved this story. It speaks to those of us who grew up in rural areas of the US. I, like Travis, grew up in a rural area, and I’m from a farm family. I, like Travis, never looked at a twink twice. Give me a big beefy hairy man any day! Thanks Mr. Mann for writing a tale about us. I felt while reading the story that it could have been about me. Well, except for the decade! I could equate with the characters…probably more with Mike’s story in the end in my case than Travis’ but I loved both of these characters.
I flew through this book, staying up until 3:30 this morning reading it. Then I got to the end. No spoilers, but I was so hoping there would be a sequel at some point (which there will not be). I wanted more. What happened next? The book has a real world ending. Sometimes there isn’t a Happily Ever After, and that is OK.
Ending aside, this book is so darned good that I’m highly recommending it for anyone who likes a tale of the underdog, a tale of the boys who aren’t into fashion and pop culture. Those flannel shirt wearing boys we call cubs.
I’m personally off to find another book by this author…because I love his writing style and voice. Take my advice, pick this one up today.
I’m not 100% sure why this book popped up on our “available to review” list almost two years after its release date, but I’m happy it did. I had not read it previously and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This review is publishing two years and one day from the date of its release, so it might be a flashback for some of you, for others it will be a new book!
Travis Ferrell is a chunky nerd. A big chunky nerd, complete with a full beard and a hairy body at seventeen years old. He is very smart, but has never been athletic, has always let the jocks push him around, etc. He is also hiding a secret. He is gay. Not something that is easy to admit in public in rural West Virginia, even in the early 1990’s when the tale is set. On top of being gay, Travis also has some pretty kinky fantasies which he has never shared with anyone!
When Travis is pushed past his limit by bullies, he seeks out a gym to develop himself to handle a fight. What he finds is Mike, the son of the owner of the gym. Travis has had a secret crush on Mike for a couple years, ever since they had PE together and Travis caught sight of Mike’s furry body. You see, Travis isn’t into slim little twinks. He likes a little beef, and a lot of hair on his fantasy men. And his fantasies are about to come true.
I loved this story. It speaks to those of us who grew up in rural areas of the US. I, like Travis, grew up in a rural area, and I’m from a farm family. I, like Travis, never looked at a twink twice. Give me a big beefy hairy man any day! Thanks Mr. Mann for writing a tale about us. I felt while reading the story that it could have been about me. Well, except for the decade! I could equate with the characters…probably more with Mike’s story in the end in my case than Travis’ but I loved both of these characters.
I flew through this book, staying up until 3:30 this morning reading it. Then I got to the end. No spoilers, but I was so hoping there would be a sequel at some point (which there will not be). I wanted more. What happened next? The book has a real world ending. Sometimes there isn’t a Happily Ever After, and that is OK.
Ending aside, this book is so darned good that I’m highly recommending it for anyone who likes a tale of the underdog, a tale of the boys who aren’t into fashion and pop culture. Those flannel shirt wearing boys we call cubs.
I’m personally off to find another book by this author…because I love his writing style and voice. Take my advice, pick this one up today.
January 3, 2017
Cub is the coming-of-age tale of West Virginian teenager Travis Ferrell, and it was—and still is—a breath of fresh air. This is a POV that was missing and is solely needed. Travis is not your classic, cliché, skinny jeans wearing, soy latte drinking kid pining away for the freedoms of a big city. He’s a hirsute, hefty young man who wishes only to trade some of his fat for muscle. He doesn’t yearn to be a heroin chic, sick-thin clubkid haunting Manhattan. Well, okay. He is planning something of an escape from his rural hometown, but his sights are set on Morgantown and the West Virginia University campus rather than either coast, and even so he has decidedly mixed feelings about leaving. He loves his hometown and his family and their shared traditions. They suit him. The only thing is, Travis is gay and he’s not stupid; he knows a vein of violent homophobia runs through his beloved mountains alongside the coal.
At the opening of the book only Travis’s friends, lesbians Bill, Brenda and Jean are aware of the single, secret element of his multi-faceted personality – and, make no mistake, his is a delightfully complex one. Travis revels in his physical strength; embraces his romantic streak by indulging in the reading and composing of poetic works with every bit as much zeal as he indulges in the consumption of the rich, home-cooked meals his Nanny prepares; reveres nature; enjoys his budding sexuality; and finds expression for all of it via a spirituality that’s every bit as expansive as his soul. It seems inevitable that he will follow in his friend’s footsteps, staying closeted until he can leave home in search of acceptance and freedom in Morgantown.
But this is fiction, and as Albee said, in fiction shit hits the fan. At the start of the book Travis meets a classmate he’s admired from afar, a boy named Mike Woodson who’s from the other side of the tracks. Sparks fly. Mike’s life is much different from the one Travis leads. Mike’s mother is dead and his racist, homophobic father, Buck, drinks too much and likes to hit people. Though Mike is a kind, smart, and handsome boy, he has self-esteem issues stemming from his upbringing. Falling for him turns Travis’s world upside down and makes the fast-paced Cub into a rollicking, ulcer-inducing and thoroughly recommended read.
At the opening of the book only Travis’s friends, lesbians Bill, Brenda and Jean are aware of the single, secret element of his multi-faceted personality – and, make no mistake, his is a delightfully complex one. Travis revels in his physical strength; embraces his romantic streak by indulging in the reading and composing of poetic works with every bit as much zeal as he indulges in the consumption of the rich, home-cooked meals his Nanny prepares; reveres nature; enjoys his budding sexuality; and finds expression for all of it via a spirituality that’s every bit as expansive as his soul. It seems inevitable that he will follow in his friend’s footsteps, staying closeted until he can leave home in search of acceptance and freedom in Morgantown.
But this is fiction, and as Albee said, in fiction shit hits the fan. At the start of the book Travis meets a classmate he’s admired from afar, a boy named Mike Woodson who’s from the other side of the tracks. Sparks fly. Mike’s life is much different from the one Travis leads. Mike’s mother is dead and his racist, homophobic father, Buck, drinks too much and likes to hit people. Though Mike is a kind, smart, and handsome boy, he has self-esteem issues stemming from his upbringing. Falling for him turns Travis’s world upside down and makes the fast-paced Cub into a rollicking, ulcer-inducing and thoroughly recommended read.
January 2, 2016
"Helplessness, Mike. The thing I fear most is my own helplessness. I couldn’t protect you today. I can’t protect anyone. I’m only seventeen. What can I do? I have no power. I have no money. I have no fucking influence. The thing that terrifies me the most is the thought that…I’ll fail the folks I love. Especially you. That I won’t be strong enough to save you. From danger. From assholes like Vass and Holt. And how will I be able to live my life after that? Knowing I failed you and you suffered because I wasn’t man enough?”
Cub is a story of life.
And with life comes love.
What made this book so unique was it showed how big and deep life is. Each second unfolds a story. There are moments we want to preserve forever. There are heartbreaks we want to escape from. There are memories that will hunt us forever. There are love that we thought was the one but we'll be very truly now- because life is like a river.
It moves on and you either ride it or you let it drown you. But one things for sure, it goes on
There is just now, you and the love you hold. Tomorrow it might all end- death might come, hate might grow, love will curdle, tears will flow, hearts will be shattered, Secrets will be kept, promises will be broken. But whatever love you have today is the only love you'll truly ever have.
This is one of the best coming of age stories I have ever read. I am so glad I did. It made reflect my own life and reminded me that we are never trully in control. We must always leave the summit, no matter how great the view is and trek the rest of our trailess path. In the end, all we'll have is the memory of it that reminds us that the climb is hard, the view is awesome but the scenery must change and so we walk and look back once in a while. It's never the climb that's hard, it's the moving on that is.
Perhaps I understand a bit of life now. Thank you Jeff Mann. I always said the best book makes you think deeper about life, it reveals a little part of it or perhaps makes it clearer. This one did and I'll treasure it for life.
Cub is a story of life.
And with life comes love.
What made this book so unique was it showed how big and deep life is. Each second unfolds a story. There are moments we want to preserve forever. There are heartbreaks we want to escape from. There are memories that will hunt us forever. There are love that we thought was the one but we'll be very truly now- because life is like a river.
It moves on and you either ride it or you let it drown you. But one things for sure, it goes on
There is just now, you and the love you hold. Tomorrow it might all end- death might come, hate might grow, love will curdle, tears will flow, hearts will be shattered, Secrets will be kept, promises will be broken. But whatever love you have today is the only love you'll truly ever have.
This is one of the best coming of age stories I have ever read. I am so glad I did. It made reflect my own life and reminded me that we are never trully in control. We must always leave the summit, no matter how great the view is and trek the rest of our trailess path. In the end, all we'll have is the memory of it that reminds us that the climb is hard, the view is awesome but the scenery must change and so we walk and look back once in a while. It's never the climb that's hard, it's the moving on that is.
Perhaps I understand a bit of life now. Thank you Jeff Mann. I always said the best book makes you think deeper about life, it reveals a little part of it or perhaps makes it clearer. This one did and I'll treasure it for life.
August 15, 2015
This was a cute book. I imagine I would have connected with it more when I was the same age as the protagonists and not out, so I definitely would recommend this book for young queers - especially young queers who may feel intimidated or alienated by the queer community as seen in the media, which is usually flamboyant and always overwhelmingly urban. There are a lot of narratives that involve young queers who suffer in the middle of nowhere and then life improves when they go to the big city to find themselves. What I like about this book is that, while there is a "big city" with an open-minded university and queer community, our protagonist Travis is always thinking about getting land in the country and settling down with a farm outside of the city. I also really like that this story doesn't wrap-up. We don't really know what happens with Travis and Mike after the events of the book, and I think that adds to the charm of it.
I can't say I really like the way the dialogue was written...I got tired of hearing about Mike's "scrumptious butt" after a while, and there was something stilted about how the characters spoke to each other that I didn't really like, but overall, this was a lovely story.
I can't say I really like the way the dialogue was written...I got tired of hearing about Mike's "scrumptious butt" after a while, and there was something stilted about how the characters spoke to each other that I didn't really like, but overall, this was a lovely story.
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July 21, 2015I am not going to rate this one because I think I just didn't like the story line so it is hard for me to rate the book. I wasn't feeling the withcraft part and there were several rash decisions that annoyed me. It could very well be that while I like bear/cub relationships, I did not like the plot points. Just not for me.
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