Little & Lion

by Brandy Colbert

[Sam@WLABB]

After a year away, Suzette returned home, happy to be reunited with her friends and family, but slightly nervous about her brother's mental health. She also had many big things to work through, such as school issues, her sexuality, and herself.

• Pro: The thing that stood out to me the most was how many issues Colbert tackled, and how she deftly handled them all. This book took on mental illness, intersectional identity, and sexual orientation, and they were explored so well, with many misconceptions being addressed head-on.

• Pro: The characters in this book were fantastic! There was so much depth to each of them. They were complex and complicated, and Colbert did a magnificent job helping me get to know the many parts of them.

• Pro: Diversity in books is so important, and not only was there a plethora of diversity in this book, but there was intersectional representation. Suzette was Black, Jewish, and questioning her sexuality. She couldn't hide being Black, but she could, and did, hide her faith and sexuality, because she believed she had to do so. It was heartbreaking, that she felt the need to hide parts of herself, and that people felt the need to attack those pieces of her identity.

• Pro: The relationship between Suzette and Lionel became more complicated, when he became ill. She always regarded him as her closest friend and confidant, but now she felt a huge sense of responsibility for him. She loved him dearly, and grappled with the secrets he asked her to keep. Watching her struggle between loyalty and betrayal was not easy, as I didn't necessarily agree with her reasons, but I understood them.

• Pro/Con: The ending felt like the beginning of so many things. The direction for each character was established, but I never got to see what happened. I called this a Pro/Con, because I think it's a pro that I cared so much, and wanted to know how everything turned out for Lionel and Suzette.

• Pro: I will never not love seeing non-traditional families. Suzette's and Lionel's parents never married, but they had all lived together for many years. Suzette and her mother even converted to Judaism, and Suzette referred to Lionel as her brother. It didn't matter that they didn't share a last name (or race), they were family. They loved and supported each other. They stood by each other, through thick or thin, and they accepted one another with no exceptions.

Overall: I found this to be a beautiful and touching story of family, friendship, and self identity, which addressed many tough issues honestly and with sensitivity.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS