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steph01924's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars, I think. I finally got to read a full-length book from Brandy Colbert! I think her writing itself was great and I loved little bits of this book so much, but I think overall I wasn't in the headspace to a) deal with the love triangle (I was also having some flashbacks to her short story in the love triangle book where the nice, sweet guy got shafted for the bad-boy BFF in jail and I worried for Emil) and b) deal with the subject matter. I did love Suzette's family situation and her parents rocked, and it flowed together really well. I definitely need to read more from Colbert!
sparkly44's review against another edition
4.0
This book is full, completely full of so much of what teenagers are managing, from sex to peer pressure to sexual identity to mixed families to mental health. It’s complex while being accessible. I wish something similar had been available when I was 16!
daisyellejames's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
onceuponthesewords's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea what this book was going to be about when I bought it… I just really liked the cover. But after reading just the first chapter, I knew in my gut that this was going to be one of the stories that I absolutely loved, and I was right.
This book tackles so many issues — mental illnesses, race, family, self-identity, sexuality, religion — in a way that was respectful and informative, and I really liked it. The characters were so lovable, and I felt for all of them and was rooting for them.
It was a pretty quick read, and I loved following along on Little & Lion’s journey. Looking forward to reading more of Brandy Colbert’s books!
This book tackles so many issues — mental illnesses, race, family, self-identity, sexuality, religion — in a way that was respectful and informative, and I really liked it. The characters were so lovable, and I felt for all of them and was rooting for them.
It was a pretty quick read, and I loved following along on Little & Lion’s journey. Looking forward to reading more of Brandy Colbert’s books!
njreadsandwrites's review against another edition
5.0
Little and Lion were two amazing kids, who just wanted to live. Little was off living her life and trying to be independent at a boarding school in New England, without always having to be a caregiver to Lion, who has bipolar disorder. When Little returns home for a visit, she realizes some truths about her life that she didn't understand before going away for school. Lion just wants to be okay; a sweetheart in his own right, he walked right into my heart and I haven't been able to forget him
This novel really broke my heart in places. I remember crying at so many scenes in this book. I wanted so badly to pick Little and Lion up so badly and comfort them and make things better. As a nurturer, I will warn all my other nurturers that this will hurt a little. But the plot was amazingly written and left me longing to know what would happen to these babies. I could not put the book down until I completely finished it.
Overall, I think this was one of the most heart-tugging books I've ever read, and I can't wait to read more from author's name.
Drop your thoughts on this book below. If you're pressed for time, and this was a quick read in between tasks, drop a pink heart in the comments.
Love, peace, and dope reading!
-NJ
This novel really broke my heart in places. I remember crying at so many scenes in this book. I wanted so badly to pick Little and Lion up so badly and comfort them and make things better. As a nurturer, I will warn all my other nurturers that this will hurt a little. But the plot was amazingly written and left me longing to know what would happen to these babies. I could not put the book down until I completely finished it.
Overall, I think this was one of the most heart-tugging books I've ever read, and I can't wait to read more from author's name.
Drop your thoughts on this book below. If you're pressed for time, and this was a quick read in between tasks, drop a pink heart in the comments.
Love, peace, and dope reading!
-NJ
kimlynn77's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the dynamic of the blended family and (if I can say so) reading about the struggles of coping with mental illness in a family. This book has drama, sexual exploration, drugs (marijuana), and a lot of casual drinking by under age folks (which was something I kind of cringed at, but I know it happens). Plus the plot is great!
ajb24's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it, I think it's a good self-discovery story. Diverse identities are woven smoothly into the story and characters which was refreshing.
thebookishunicorn's review against another edition
3.0
Read a more in depth review on my blog!
This was a tough book for me to get through, but I first want to talk about the positives!
The representation in this book is out of this world! I also enjoyed how Colbert tackled every day racism and feminist themes.
Brandy Colbert is VERY good at writing, her descriptions and dialogue are phenomenal and I really enjoyed reading it.
On to the negatives, and why I only rated this 3 stars.
There were too many things going on and because of that, there wasn't enough time for anything to get fully fleshed out. This also hindered character development, many of their personalities felt flat.
The love triangle drove me nuts, and putting a bi person in a "I want both but can't choose" love triangle is a super damaging stereotype.
Overall I think if Colbert would have taken out the love triangle and spent more time on the other plot points, this might have been one of my favorite reads of this year. I was really looking forward to this book and ended up being very disappointed.
This was a tough book for me to get through, but I first want to talk about the positives!
The representation in this book is out of this world! I also enjoyed how Colbert tackled every day racism and feminist themes.
Brandy Colbert is VERY good at writing, her descriptions and dialogue are phenomenal and I really enjoyed reading it.
On to the negatives, and why I only rated this 3 stars.
There were too many things going on and because of that, there wasn't enough time for anything to get fully fleshed out. This also hindered character development, many of their personalities felt flat.
The love triangle drove me nuts, and putting a bi person in a "I want both but can't choose" love triangle is a super damaging stereotype.
Overall I think if Colbert would have taken out the love triangle and spent more time on the other plot points, this might have been one of my favorite reads of this year. I was really looking forward to this book and ended up being very disappointed.
ttreadsya's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I have so many feelings around this story, but i personally believe the handling of bipolar disorder was not great at all, and that truly is dragging this rating down! But along with that, i am also very upset by the partnerships. The relationship the love triangle and how it flirted with cheating and lion and i just really didn't enjoy this... the beginning of the book i liked, but this ending these characters and the way bipolar was spoken about was terrible and made me very, very upset!