The New York Times Book Review - Catherine Hong
Colbert writes about physical attraction with a real sizzle and she has concocted her bizarre love rectangle so ingeniously, readers will be dying to know—on the most basic level—who will end up with whom…[Little & Lion] feels urgent and true.
From the Publisher
Kirkus Best Book of the YearBuzzfeed Best Book of the Year
Bustle.com Best Book of the Year
Vulture Best Book of the Year
Seventeen Magazine Best Book of the Year
Booklist (starred review)
This superbly written novel teems with meaningful depth, which is perfectly balanced by romance and the languorous freedom of summer.”
Horn Book
With compelling honesty, Colbert portrays Suzette’s evolving understanding of her sexuality, Lionel’s longing for self-sufficiency alongside the challenges of his mental illness, and the difficulty of shifting familial relationships.”
award-winning author of Openly Straight and Honest Bill Konigsberg
On the surface, this is a great book that beautifully navigates the elaborate landscapes of sexual orientation and mental health issues. But as I read on, I found myself deeply connected with Suzette, who is gorgeously depicted in all her complexities. This is a book and a protagonist I will long remember.
New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken Kiersten White
Brandy Colbert further establishes herself as one of contemporary YA's biggest talents in this thoughtful and thought-provoking examination of identity, loyalty, and what it means to live with integrity. Little & Lion is a stunningly good novel.
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Colbert sensitively confronts misconceptions about mental illness, bisexuality, and intersectional identity. A vibrantly depicted Los Angeles and a rich, though at-times unwieldy, cast of characters create a convincing world. Readers will empathize with Suzette as she explores both her sexuality and the tricky line between honesty and betrayal.”
starred review School Library Journal
* "A moving, diverse exploration of the challenges of growing up and the complicated nature of loyalty.
AudioFile
Narrator Alisha Wainwright pours emotion into her performance. Taking her cues from the text, she sighs and laughs, her voice quavers and cracks, and listeners feel what Suzette is feeling. Wainwright’s empathetic narration makes listeners care about all of the characters, and her performance connects with Colbert’s layered, atmospheric story of family ties, identity, and figuring out how to do the right thing. The result is an affecting and engrossing audiobook that will resonate with listeners.”
Chicago Tribune
"[Colbert] further demonstrates her ability to convey the experiences of modern teen life with sensitivity, candor, and grace.”
Publishers Weekly
A moving and well-realized examination of secrecy, trust, and intimacy.”
BuzzFeed
The book is extremely honest in its portrayal of mental illness, particularly how it affects sibling relationships, without veering into melodrama.”
author of Now I Rise Kiersten White
[A] thoughtful and thought-provoking examination of identity, loyalty, and what it means to live with integrity…A stunningly good novel.”
starred review Kirkus Reviews
* "Colbert sensitively confronts misconceptions about mental illness, bisexuality, and intersectional identity....A vibrantly depicted Los Angeles.
Bookish
A gripping novel that explores topics of sexuality, mental illness, and race.”
VOYA
Hand to readers who like thoughtful, edgy stories with no easy answers.”
starred review Booklist
* "This superbly written novel teems with meaningful depth, which is perfectly balanced by romance and the languorous freedom of summer.
author of Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel Sara Farizan
Brandy Colbert takes us on an emotional and gorgeous journey with a protagonist who is trying to figure out where she fits in with her family as well as in the world. A book full of overwhelming love and courage.
starred review Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
* "From the threads of love and romance, to redefining family life, readers of all walks of life will find an entry point to this title.
School Library Journal (starred review)
A moving, diverse exploration of the challenges of growing up and the complicated nature of loyalty.”
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2017-05-01
Sixteen-year-old Suzette was sent to boarding school when her bookish older brother, Lionel, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but now she's back in Los Angeles for the summer.Despite the strange looks their family attracts—Suzette and her mom are black, while Lionel and his dad are white—Lionel and Suzette were always close before Lionel's diagnosis. With Suzette back home, Lionel confides in her that he's going off his medication. Fearing that to divulge his secret will ruin any chance of rebuilding their bond, Suzette keeps quiet even though she feels responsible for her brother's well-being. Simultaneously, Suzette balances her blooming feelings for Emil Choi, a sunny, biracial (black/Korean) boy with Ménière's disease, and for Rafaela, a pansexual Latina—whom, disastrously, Lionel is also falling for. To make matters worse, Suzette is still grappling with a homophobic act that exposed her relationship with her white boarding school roommate, Iris. Suzette's engrossing present-tense narration intertwines with sporadic—but pertinent—flashback chapters. Colbert (Pointe, 2014) sensitively confronts misconceptions about mental illness, bisexuality, and intersectional identity ("people have too many questions when you're black and Jewish," thinks Suzette). A vibrantly depicted Los Angeles and a rich, though at-times unwieldy cast of characters create a convincing world. Readers will empathize with Suzette as she explores both her sexuality and the tricky line between honesty and betrayal. (Fiction. 14-18)
