Cranberry Boys

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
When we first meet Zeph (great name), his life seems pretty good. His best friend Connor is his secret boyfriend, he is on the track team, he is well liked, he has solid parents (even if they are religious zealots), and a really cool attic hangout in his dad’s factory.

It doesn’t take long before Zeph’s life starts to become complicated. He’d rather things with Connor not be secret. And are you really boyfriends if your secret boyfriend is getting it on with girls? Then Bronson returns to school having been gone for several years. He his openly gay and interested in Zeph, and Zeph finds being with Bronson so much easier than being with Connor. Add in issues with his parents, issues with being in the closest, general teenage angst, and suddenly Zeph’s easy life is anything but and things get quite serious.

I was fascinated by Zeph. He is a good guy but there were times when he didn’t stand up for himself or speak up when I thought he should have, and it frustrated me. But it interested me too. He was intelligent, why did he seem so tongue tied at times? I wanted to learn more about Zeph and the further into the book we got, the more I understood him.

There are some very difficult scenes in this story and also some uplifting ones. Zeph’s journey sucked me right in and I even cancelled plans I had made so that I could stay inside and keep reading. Cranberry Boys is an excellent young adult novel that is about more than just the romance, it is about growing up and it is really well done. A solid four stars from me.

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Cranberry Boys (Watermarsh Tales #1) by Scudder James Jr. to read and review.

Cranberry Boys has many interesting characters. Zeph, Connor and Bronson are full and realistically complicated. I believed them all. Even secondary characters, such as Marcus at the boarding school and Stephanie (Connor’s ex-girlfriend and Bronson’s best friend) are working on their own kind of happiness. This is a well-rounded, believable read.

Life isn’t perfect for anyone in the novel, which is true to life anywhere. Zephaniah wants to improve his life, but he’s not sure how to do it. Connor would do anything to make life stay the same. Noah wants everyone to do a better job dreaming. We see Cranberry Boys through Zeph’s eyes. He tries hard and sometimes fails, but it’s rewarding to see how he uses his imperfect skills to make everything work out.

One of my children is a member of the Queer community. I’m pleased there are books such as Cranberry Boys where different people can see parts of themselves represented, even in towns as smalls as Watermarsh.

4.5 Stars

Scudder James Jr's Cranberry Boys is a riveting young adult romance.

Zeph is struggling with his life, as he's closeted and dating a closeted teammate. His parents are classic religious homophobes, who can't "allow" their son to be gay. The religious beliefs are plenty, the hatred is loud and clear, and the hurt to their son life changing. The religious parts, with a lot of bible quotes brought out so many emotions. I was sad, I was pissed, and I wanted to scream. The homophobia and the fear are all consuming, making me furious.

And then there's the closeted aspect. My heart hurt for Zeph. Caught in a life of lies and secrets, rejection and always being in second place, the struggle is real. Soon he's in a love triangle as he tries to figure out his life.

With Connor, Zeph is secretly dating the classic jock who needs to be seen with girls to keep his cover alive. The damage he does meanwhile is overwhelming. And then there's Branson, who leaves Zeph more confused than ever.

Their story includes cheating, bullying, and more. Please note the cheating and skip if that's a hard limit for you. This story is heavy on the secrets, hiding, lies, and denial. The 1st person pov is perfect, allowing us to fully understand Zeph's feelings.

One of my favorite parts of this book is the coach's alternative to swear words. It is a hoot.

I love the writing. The author developed a good, smooth story, with some great angles. Part of me loved it, part of me was left wanting more. Overall, I loved it and it's message. I just wanted some parts to be more developed.

Cranberry Boys is a compelling tale of choosing the life you have or the life you want. It's a great story of finding someone who wakes you up and helps you figure out your truth. I definitely recommend this Scudder James Jr book to anyone who like YA, especially any confused teens.