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mamareadstuff's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
As a 30 something, I was obviously not the target audience, but it was a great YA, coming of age story. Add in being Black and Jewish, trying to come out, a blended family, mental illness, sibling bonds, first relationships, and more. It's a LOT for one book, but the author did a great job at not making it an afterschool special, not shying away from nuance, and telling a compelling story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Biphobia, Violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Stalking
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, and Abortion
station12reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"Right now, I just want to look at my brother, be at peace with the fact that he's going to get better."
"Little & Lion" by Brandy Colbert is a captivating coming-of-age novel that delicately melds themes of identity, mental health, and the complexities of romantic, platonic, & familial love. Colbert's writing effortlessly drew me into the lives of sister and brother MCs Suzette (Little) and Lionel (Lion), creating an emotional journey that leaves a lasting impact.
What truly sets "Little & Lion" apart is its portrayal of mental health. Colbert handles the topic with remarkable sensitivity, shining a spotlight on Lion's struggle with bipolar disorder. Her heartfelt approach brings an authenticity that helps readers empathize deeply with the characters' experiences and the impact of mental health on their relationships.
The forms of love depicted in this story transcend traditional boundaries. The bonds between family, friends, and romantic partners are explored in all their complexity, showcasing the myriad ways in which love can both heal and challenge us. The relationships between Little, Lion, and their friends are beautifully nuanced, offering a profound exploration of loyalty, forgiveness, and acceptance.
I'd highly recommend this read to any reader YA and up, as it deals with some mature themes and does include sexual experiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content and Stalking
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I loved the multi faceted layers and diversity that is in this novel. Our Reformed Jewish bisexual black female main character, Suzette, is trying to navigate her summer before her senior year and decides to go home after spending a year in boarding school in Massachusetts. When she was gone, her stepbrother Lionel was going through adjustments to his life, having recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and taking meds. There was so much that was done right and some things that I wasn’t 100% sure about. I might have to re-read later to figure out what exactly wasn’t hitting the mark but it might revolve around Rafaela and Lionel (as a couple not individually although Lionel won’t be winning Favorite Male Character from me.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Biphobia
Minor: Blood, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
leigh_ann_15_deaf's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Deaf reader reviewing books with deaf characters.
The diversity in this novel is excellent. I like narrator's voice and interesting story. Heartfelt. Enjoyable.
As for the deaf character, Emil. I'm a little iffy.
So, he has Ménière's disease, which makes him "late-deafened," and he identifies as hard of hearing. He unabashedly wears hearing aids, as has been wearing them since a few months before the start of the novel. All of this is fantastic! Except the author seems to be confused about hearing aids.
It's just a little strange how he doesn't take care of these super expensive devices at all. He never seems to take them off. In fact, he seems to sleep in them, which is particularly odd. Especially considering not once has he ever needed to change the batteries. (Where can I get these, please?)
Emil also has "waterproof" hearing aids, which don't exist. There are several "water resistant" brands on the market, but these can only be submerged for very short periods of time, and that's with extra equipment like "go-pro" cases and waterproofing kits. The largest time limit I'm aware of for getting hearing aids wet is 30 minutes. So you would prep them to get in the water, then swim for 25 minutes max, and get out to dry your devices as quickly and carefully as possible. Otherwise you'll be spending hundreds to thousands to either fix or replace them! But Emil just jumps right into the pool, twice, and we never see him drying these babies off. I was screaming internally!
Another thing that bothered me is that Suzette keeps touching his hearing aids. Cringe! I know I'm not alone in that, because touching the devices can often trigger painful feedback or make "itchy" noises.
As far as Emil and communication difficulties, there is none. No one ever needs to repeat anything. That's not necessarily a bad representation, but it does stand out to me.
Something I find funny (in a ha-ha way): Suzette calls Emil's name as he walks away after an argument, but he doesn't turn around. And it's impossible to know whether this is because he didn't hear her or for the drama. Kiss-fist.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, though I do wish the author had been a little more accurate with the hearing aids.
Link to ranked list of deaf characters in fiction: https://modcast.blog/2022/12/17/ranked-deaf-characters-in-fiction/
The diversity in this novel is excellent. I like narrator's voice and interesting story. Heartfelt. Enjoyable.
As for the deaf character, Emil. I'm a little iffy.
So, he has Ménière's disease, which makes him "late-deafened," and he identifies as hard of hearing. He unabashedly wears hearing aids, as has been wearing them since a few months before the start of the novel. All of this is fantastic! Except the author seems to be confused about hearing aids.
It's just a little strange how he doesn't take care of these super expensive devices at all. He never seems to take them off. In fact, he seems to sleep in them, which is particularly odd. Especially considering not once has he ever needed to change the batteries. (Where can I get these, please?)
Emil also has "waterproof" hearing aids, which don't exist. There are several "water resistant" brands on the market, but these can only be submerged for very short periods of time, and that's with extra equipment like "go-pro" cases and waterproofing kits. The largest time limit I'm aware of for getting hearing aids wet is 30 minutes. So you would prep them to get in the water, then swim for 25 minutes max, and get out to dry your devices as quickly and carefully as possible. Otherwise you'll be spending hundreds to thousands to either fix or replace them! But Emil just jumps right into the pool, twice, and we never see him drying these babies off. I was screaming internally!
Another thing that bothered me is that Suzette keeps touching his hearing aids. Cringe! I know I'm not alone in that, because touching the devices can often trigger painful feedback or make "itchy" noises.
As far as Emil and communication difficulties, there is none. No one ever needs to repeat anything. That's not necessarily a bad representation, but it does stand out to me.
Something I find funny (in a ha-ha way): Suzette calls Emil's name as he walks away after an argument, but he doesn't turn around. And it's impossible to know whether this is because he didn't hear her or for the drama. Kiss-fist.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, though I do wish the author had been a little more accurate with the hearing aids.
Link to ranked list of deaf characters in fiction: https://modcast.blog/2022/12/17/ranked-deaf-characters-in-fiction/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Mental illness, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Biphobia, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Abortion
sophieduncan's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Homophobia
Minor: Biphobia, Antisemitism, Racism, and Sexual content
corvicore's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked this book for the most part but there were some things that kept me from giving it 4 stars or higher. First of all, and I'm sorry if this is an unpopular opinion, but I didn't really like Lionel. We are told throughout the book that Suzette and Lionel always confide in each other and that they're incredibly close, but very little of that is actually shown to the reader. That in of itself isn't necessarily a problem considering the premise of the book, however considering the author put flashback chapters in as well, I thought it was a bit of a missed opportunity to not flesh out Lionel's relationship with Suzette there. The only time I really liked him was when he bought Suzette a replacement necklace for her bat mitzvah, and not much else.
Furthermore, I felt as if the ending wasn't as satisfying as it could have been. The book's plot really only begins in the halfway mark, and even when things get going it really felt out of the blue when Lionel goes missing. There isn't any foreshadowing, we are only told afterwards that he and Rafaela had spoken about going to San Luis Obispo. While I did like the resolution to Emil and Suzette's relationship, Lionel and Suzette making up at the end felt incredibly brief and undeserved. While Suzette's struggles with her sexuality and her relationship with Emil were built upon throughout the entire book, Lionel's arc didn't feel very fleshed out and his apology to Suzette felt very hollow when we were never really shown what Lionel was like when he wasn't being a dick to Suzette.
I want to be clear though that I did like this book. When I review books I mostly put what I didn't like about it, but that doesn't mean that there aren't things I enjoy too. The diverse cast of characters was a welcome change, and it was clear that the author had put a lot of thought into respectfully writing each and every character. It's just that the things I mentioned above soured my reading experience.
Furthermore, I felt as if the ending wasn't as satisfying as it could have been. The book's plot really only begins in the halfway mark,
I want to be clear though that I did like this book. When I review books I mostly put what I didn't like about it, but that doesn't mean that there aren't things I enjoy too. The diverse cast of characters was a welcome change, and it was clear that the author had put a lot of thought into respectfully writing each and every character. It's just that the things I mentioned above soured my reading experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Racism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abortion and Biphobia
juliastimpson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
🟧
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual content
thoroughlyenjoyedbooks's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Biphobia, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Racism
Minor: Antisemitism
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