Coming-of-Age Journeys

Coming-of-age journeys, academically known as Bildungsromane, focus on the stories of young people embarking on the path to adulthood. These are stories of self-actualization, questions of identity, discoveries of shortcomings and strengths, and lessons learned. This collection of study guides covers classics to contemporary novels, from J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger to As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds.

Clown in a Cornfield

by Adam Cesare

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Nostalgia, Revenge, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, LGBTQ+

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Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

by Haruki Murakami

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Memory, Appearance & Reality, Music, The Past, Coming of Age, Mental Health

Tags Coming of Age, Japanese Literature, Realistic Fiction, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is a 2014 novel by renowned Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. The novel tells the story of a man who attempts to overcome past emotional suffering to make his present life more rewarding. Through Tsukuru’s point of view, we see the ripple effects of rejection and the necessity of sometimes confronting the past to make sense of who we are in the present. After a group of friends... Read Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage Summary

Coming Of Age In Mississippi

by Anne Moody

Publication year 1968

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Coming of Age

Tags Race & Racism, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography

First published in 1968, Coming of Age in Mississippi is an autobiography of Anne Moody, a black civil rights worker in the 1960s. The memoir starts with Moody (born Essie Mae Moody) as a young child, continues through her high school and college years, and finishes with Moody’s work in “the Movement” (civil rights movement). Narrated in the first-person and in a straightforward manner, the book unflinchingly describes poverty, segregated education, violence against black people... Read Coming Of Age In Mississippi Summary

Confessions of a Mask

by Yukio Mishima

Publication year 1949

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Masculinity

Tags LGBTQ+, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, World History

Confessions of a Mask is a novel by Yukio Mishima, first published in Japan in 1949. The novel takes place during and immediately after World War II and centers on the struggles of a young man named Kochan. It has significant elements of the coming-of-age (bildungsroman) and queer literature genres, as Kochan is a closeted gay man trying to navigate his complex inner life and sexuality in contrast with his carefully controlled outer persona. The... Read Confessions of a Mask Summary

Coolie

by Mulk Raj Anand

Publication year 1936

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Fate, Coming of Age

Tags Poverty, Social Class, Indian Literature, Realism, Asian Literature, World History, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Since its publication in 1936, Mulk Raj Anand’s novel Coolie has become a landmark in modern Indian literature. The novel condemned the social, economic, and cultural impact of more than two centuries of British occupation and indicted India’s own rigid caste system, which had long separated its citizens into groups based on their work status and their ethnicity. The novel appeared at the height of a turbulent decade in which India itself, under the moral... Read Coolie Summary

Corrupt

by Penelope Douglas

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Revenge, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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Cosmic

by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, Future, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Fathers, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Humor, Fantasy

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Crank

by Ellen Hopkins

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Mental Health, Perseverance, Coming of Age, Masculinity, Daughters & Sons, Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

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Crispin: The Cross of Lead

by Avi

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Medieval, Coming of Age, Social Class, Depression & Suicide, European History, Politics & Government, Poverty

Crispin: The Cross of Lead is a 2002 children’s historical fiction novel by Avi. Set in medieval England, the novel follows the adventures of a boy who goes on the run after he is falsely accused of theft and murder and explores themes related to poverty, education, choice, and freedom. Crispin won the Newbery Medal in 2003. A sequel, Crispin at the Edge of the World, was released in 2006, while a third novel, Crispin:... Read Crispin: The Cross of Lead Summary

Criss Cross

by Lynne Rae Perkins

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age

Criss Cross (2005) is a Newberry Award-winning middle grade novel by American children’s writer Lynne Rae Perkins. Set in the fictional town of Seldem in the 1970s, Criss Cross traces the protagonist Debbie’s coming-of-age experiences in the summer she turns 14. The title refers to how people’s lives intersect—or “criss cross”—through chance meetings and friendships. This happens to Debbie when her neighbor’s grandson, Peter, comes to visit. She develops feelings for him and wonders if... Read Criss Cross Summary

Crossed

by Ally Condie

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Coming of Age, Death, Self Discovery, War, Art, Justice, Literature, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Science & Nature, Social Justice

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Crossroads

by Devney Perry

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Nostalgia, Regret, Coming of Age, Place, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics

Tags Romance, Coming of Age

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Crow Mary

by Kathleen Grissom

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Race, Coming of Age, Family, Marriage, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Justice

Tags World History

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Cue for Treason

by Geoffrey Trease

Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Social Class, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction

Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease is a children’s historical novel published in 1940. Set in Elizabethan England at the end of the 16th century, it follows the adventures of Peter, forced to run away from his Cumberland home. Peter becomes a boy-actor, traveling to London with another runaway, Kit. They uncover a conspiracy against the Queen that takes them on a series of escapades up and down the country.Trease wrote over 100 books and... Read Cue for Treason Summary

Cursed Bunny

by Bora Chung, Transl. Anton Hur

Publication year 2017

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Fear, Loneliness, Revenge, Disability, Gender Identity, Language, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Marriage, Social Class, Economics, Justice

Tags Horror & Suspense, Magical Realism, Science Fiction, Korean Literature

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