Little & Lion
is a stunning novel on love, loss, identity, and redemption written by Brandy
Colbert. When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New
England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her
friends and family are, along with her crush, Emil. Her stepbrother, Lionel,
who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support. But
as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone
new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals
out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way
to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse.
The novel did a good job of representing multiple diverse
identities, including race, sexuality, religion, disability, and
non-traditional family structures. A significant theme of the novel is
Suzette’s exploration of her bisexuality. This book is a recipient of the
Stonewall Book Award, which recognizes exceptional LGBTQ+ literature. In
addition to the diversity represented by the main characters, the peripheral
characters are also diverse in race, sexuality, and ability.
Members did like how realistic this novel portrayed the
different identities. However, some of them didn’t have relevance to the story causing
it to be a slower read. The nonlinear narrative style was a little frustrating
also. It didn’t necessarily have to be written that way for readers to
understand the story. Overall, members decided, for a YA read, it was
satisfactory. They rated it three out of five stars.
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