Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a solid YA contemporary novel about diverse step-siblings, one who is dealing with issues and labeling in regards to mental health, and the other who is dealing with conflict and labeling, in regards to sexuality. This is a solid read, with a diverse cast, and it touches on some very important issues.

If you haven't read a book like this before, you'll probably feel it is excellent. If in the past you have read a ton of diverse stories dealing with mental health and sexuality, then you'll probably find this to be average. I enjoyed the story, overall, even though a few things just didn't ring true. I especially appreciated the diversity, of which there was plenty. However, I wouldn't ever reread this book, nor will I likely remember what it is actually about after a few weeks have passed. Instead, I'll probably just have one of those general feelings of like towards it, without remembering exactly why I liked this.

The story and plot are more of a 3.5 for me, but it gets the extra half star for the diversity and dealing with tough issues at the YA level. I expect there will be some teens who pick this book up and finally see a character who is something like them in literature, and that is fantastic.

Book 16 read in 2019

Pages: 330

Beautiful You by Chuck Palahniuk

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Penny will save all women from being controlled by billionaire C. Linus Maxwell.  She imparts the knowledge that family is important and love is paramount.  Very explicit book.

Audio:  7 hrs. 45 min.
Print:  224 pages

"Off Campus" by Amy Jo Cousins

This first book in the Bend or Break series centers on Tom Worthington, who is returning to college after taking time off to deal with the revelation that his father has been running a ponzi scheme.  He's been gypsy-cabbing for cash in Boston and sleeping in his car.  Now that he has enough money to live in the older student dorm, he's surprised to find that he has a roommate, and the roommate hates him at first sight.  Reese Anders is technically too young for this dorm, but he was brutally bullied by jocks during his freshman year, and he's been separated for his safety.  Unfortunately, Tom was once a college jock, and Reese will do just about anything to get him to leave.

Poor Reese and Tom have both been through very tough times, although in vastly different circumstances.  Their interactions are tense, funny, and uncomfortable but evolve into a grudging friendship.  However, Tom's ongoing money problems and Reese's continued harassment by his tormentors threaten to push them both over the edge.  Will they bend or break?  314 pages (Kindle edition).

Ask the Passengers

Author: A.S. King
Pages: 293


Loved this book! It was a little slow in places but Astrid has so much stacked against her, especially in her home life and it's great to see her come out of it with a sense of humor and love. I recommend it!
cover blurb:

Astrid Jones desperately wants to confide in someone, but her mother's pushiness and her father's lack of interest tell her they're the last people she can trust. Instead, Astrid spends hours lying on the backyard picnic table watching airplanes fly overhead. She doesn't know the passengers inside, but they're the only people who won't judge her when she asks them her most personal questions . . . like what it means that she's falling in love with a girl.

In this truly original portrayal of a girl struggling to break free of society's definitions, Printz Honor author A.S. King asks readers to question everything--and offers hope to those who will never stop seeking real love.

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