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Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert


 

Synopsis

 

"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). And 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."


Book Links: Goodreads, Bookshop


 

My Thoughts

 

This was such a surprise favorite for me. It started it kind of slow at the beginning, but as you learn more about Suzette or Little, as she's called by her brother who goes by Lion, her story unfolds into such a beautiful exploration of sexuality, mental illness and identity.


The first thing that I loved about this book was that it showed Little really exploring what it means to be bi. She accepts at the beginning that she is bi but also faces some of the uncertainties that, at least I know I've gone through as a bi person. I loved that they showed her with a past girlfriend but also with a boyfriend which is something I don't feel like I've seen all that often with bi characters.


Second, I absolutely adored Little's relationship with her brother. It was beautiful and full of heart and even when things weren't great you could tell how much she loved her brother. And while she doesn't always make the best decisions she tries her best to help her brother while he deals with his bipolar disorder.


So basically, this book was fantastic and I highly recommend this one!

 

Genre: lgbtqia+, contemporary, ya


Representation: bi MC, Black MC, Jewish MC, MC with bipolar disorder


Content Warnings: discussions of suicide, racism, underage drinking, homophobia, sex scenes, depression, ableism, biphobia, hypomania, misogyny

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