CUB

A gay Toronto foodie translates his
love of pastry into love of self amid some mean-boy body shaming.

Seventeen-year-old Theo’s amour for
baking doesn’t extend to cardio, so he’s less six-pack abs and more keg. Since
Theo lacks the confidence to recognize he’s got noteworthy allure as a baker (and
potential boyfriend material), his outrageous bestie, Di, enters him into a cooking
(note: not baking) contest. Sweets, not savories, are his forte, but he
embraces the opportunity since it’s sponsored by one of the hottest and hottest
celebrity faces in the restaurant world, Kyle Carl Clark. Swoon. Theo is the
instant dark horse, his recipes as conversely different from his competitors’
as his full-bodied breadth is to their tight pecs and trim waistlines. As the
contest evolves, he confronts a barrage of insults and advances (wanted and
unwanted), meandering through them to understand himself, his talent, and his
take on negative forces within his own community. Short paragraphs and
straightforward dialogue make this ideal for reluctant readers. A gay
protagonist (and many secondary and tertiary characters) and a drag queen will
resonate with an LGBTQ+ audience. Theo is presumably white, as are most characters;
a reference to microbraids may imply Di is black, and one contest judge has an
Asian Indian surname.

The tough truth of marginalized
communities attacking their own is difficult to face but accurate in its
exposure of toxic behavior; Theo’s shaky navigation is inspiring. (Fiction.
13-17)