Little and Lion--"A good choice for a literature circle or book club"

Title: Little and Lion

Author:  Brandy Colbert


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Suzette returns to her LA home after spending the school year in a boarding school.  While she was there, she had a romantic relationship with her roommate and is now confused about her sexuality.  While home, Suzette develops a crush on her female coworker, Rafaela, and begins dating her childhood friend, Emil. Lionel, Suzette's bipolar stepbrother, begins dating Rafaela and stops taking his medication.  Suzette is very worried about Lionel, which affects her other relationships.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I just finished reading and am still trying to process all the issues and discussion-able topics in Little and Lion.  If I were still teaching high school, this would be a great choice for a small group discussion literature circle.

Suzette's biracial liberal family (she and her mother are black and Lionel and his father are white) would have no problem accepting Suzette's sexuality, but Suzette feels that she did not handle the situation with her roommate in the right way and feels guilty.  Plus, she is still trying to figure everything out:  is she more attracted to girls or boys, and does it matter?

Suzette is surprised that she can feel attracted to Emil but also feel pulled towards Rafaela.  I was sure throughout the reading that Rafaela and Suzette would secretly become a couple . . . but no spoilers here.

The brother-sister relationship with Lionel and Suzette was heartwarming and heartbreaking--a mentally ill person should not go off his/her meds, and my worst nightmare involves my mentally ill child not taking his medicine.  He cannot function without it and neither could Lionel.  I was nervous for his safety throughout the whole book.

Casual racism, Meniere's disease, Judaism, stalking by ex-partners, and homophobia also appear in this issue-laden book.  I almost want Colbert to write a sequel about Suzette's next year in boarding school, but the story of her life in LA seemed complete.

Coincidentally, I just watched season 3 of Skam, which also has a bipolar and bisexual character.


This book is on the 2018 Rainbow Book List.

My final takeaway (in 75 words or fewer):  I recommend that you read this book.  Little and Lion is not a warm and fuzzy beach-read, which I think makes it a good choice for a literature circle or book club.  A lot of discussion could be generated about mental illness, sexuality, casual discrimination, friendships, and blended families among other issues.


My favorite quotes/passages:

• "Even before I met Iris, I was tired of all the jokes and assumptions I'd heard about bisexual people:  that they're just being greedy or doing it for attention or trying it on for size 'before they cross over to full-on gay.' Even with the little experience I had, it wasn't so hard to imagine that someone might be attracted to both--or more--options" (e-book, pg. 63).
• "Did you know black people weren't allowed to use public pools back in the day?   . . . And that even if they weren't actually segregated, white people used to attack black people who tried to swim?  But black people get made fun of for not swimming, like there's no f***ing reason for that.  Not all jokes are funny" (pg. 76).
• "Maybe I'm bi, maybe I'm queer, maybe I'll never like another girl besides Iris and Rafaela.  I'm not totally clear on my identity yet . . . but I don't need her telling me what I am and what that means, best friend or no" (pg. 110).
• "Bi, queer . . . it doesn't really matter as long as you're happy.  Just make sure you don't let anyone tell you what you are.  People can be real a******* about labels" (pg. 126).

Other reviews: Teen Reads and Chicago Tribune


This book is available in the Greensboro Public Library.