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A review by alisarae
Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
YA books that center around family relationships are quickly becoming my favorite thing. I LOVE that this blended family loves each other, works to communicate well (even though that is a... work in progress), and has their own special traditions.
Set in summertime LA, Suzette aka Little, returns to her family after a year at boarding school to find that a lot of people, including herself, have changed in the past year. Sexuality, dating, friendships, and family relationships are all in motion. Not to mention that Suzette's older brother is going through a mental health crisis.
There were a couple key things that I had doubts about...
- How do all of these underage teens drink ALL the time, and there is not one concern displayed by anyone about getting caught? And how do they have access to so much alcohol? Like, there was a deeper explanation of how they got fireworks than of how they got such a variety of beverages. Is this an LA thing?
- Lion's bipolar crisis is really well-put until he spins completely out of control. Suzette always trying to read the room, trying to plan her actions around not causing a reaction, looking for signs of how Lion is feeling without asking him directly, and trying to empathize with him are really great pictures of what it's like to live with someone who has bipolar disorder. Without spoilers, I know that what he does IS what can happen to some people with bipolar disorder, BUT I think it is played up for the drama.
... and something that the author did really well: sexual consent is really clearly portrayed. The discussions between the characters are there and shown in a really natural way.
So anyways, I really liked all of the characters in this book and I hope there will be a sequel. I don't think one is planned, but Suzette has some unfinished business so I'm crossing my fingers!
Set in summertime LA, Suzette aka Little, returns to her family after a year at boarding school to find that a lot of people, including herself, have changed in the past year. Sexuality, dating, friendships, and family relationships are all in motion. Not to mention that Suzette's older brother is going through a mental health crisis.
There were a couple key things that I had doubts about...
- How do all of these underage teens drink ALL the time, and there is not one concern displayed by anyone about getting caught? And how do they have access to so much alcohol? Like, there was a deeper explanation of how they got fireworks than of how they got such a variety of beverages. Is this an LA thing?
- Lion's bipolar crisis is really well-put until he spins completely out of control. Suzette always trying to read the room, trying to plan her actions around not causing a reaction, looking for signs of how Lion is feeling without asking him directly, and trying to empathize with him are really great pictures of what it's like to live with someone who has bipolar disorder. Without spoilers, I know that what he does IS what can happen to some people with bipolar disorder, BUT I think it is played up for the drama.
... and something that the author did really well: sexual consent is really clearly portrayed. The discussions between the characters are there and shown in a really natural way.
So anyways, I really liked all of the characters in this book and I hope there will be a sequel. I don't think one is planned, but Suzette has some unfinished business so I'm crossing my fingers!