Our Favourite coming-of-age books

Often centered around immense changes to their understanding of the world, the coming-of-age trope about individual growth and how the individual sheds their childhood innocence to become an adult. Themes within this trope include searching for identity/ place in the world, moral decisions, personal choices, and conflicts between societal expectations of yourself.

	The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
You cannot mention YA and coming-of-age without mentioning The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. Written in the 1960s by Hinton, who was only 16 years old, the main character, 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis, must navigate life without parental guidance. This book explores the failures of conventional families and shines a light on the social units of marginalized kids. This book also demonstrates that you can still feel like an outcast even with close bonds. More
	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
The first novel in the legendary Harry Potters series sets the stage for what will become a tumultuous and heartbreaking journey. The story is filled with mystery, suspense, and unconditional love. We see Harry slowly maturing with every adventure he encounters and every secret revealed during his first year. Be warned, though, if you begin this book, you won't want to put it down until you've finished! More
	The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The most recently published book on this list (published in 1999), The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is told through the eyes of Charlie Kelmeckis in the form of letters. Charlie is considered a wallflower, an awkward individual who is a little bit quirky, extremely sweet, entirely harmless, and completely invisible to the everyday high schooler. This book is a battle between childhood freedom and adult responsibilities and depicts the difficulties of outgrowing your identity. More
	The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
If there is a character that is the epitome of teenage angst and rebellion, that character is Holden Caulfield. With an idea of what adulthood would be like, Holden desperately craves the adventure and thrill of being an adult, or so he thinks. The Catcher in the Rye, an American classic, captures the coming-of-age genre perfectly by playing on ideas of searching for courage, the conflict between innocence and being an adult, and the classic, making important decisions. More
	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A beloved novel by all high school English teachers, To Kill a Mockingbird follows our youngest character on this list, 6-year-old Scout (Jean Louise Finch), as she lives through the Great Depression. This book is different from the conventional coming-of-age books as it does not take place in a high school, there isn’t a budding romance, and the main character is very young. However, where it lacks, it excels in other areas. This book does not skimp out the battle between right and wrong, trying to understand oneself as Scout learns more about the world, and it strongly emphasizes the inability to protect one’s innocence. More
	Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Little Women follows the lives of the four March sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy. Set in the Civil War era, we see the sister’s growth and identities shaped by their life experiences and relationships. Little Women unveils the complexities of being a woman with aspirations when this idea was still novel. With such a vast range of identities, it’s hard to read this book and not relate to at least one of the March sisters. More
	A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
While this novel follows the Nolan family through their success, joys, and pains, it weaves together a web of complex characters whose one main goal is Francie Nolan's successful upbringing. Like the tree that grows outside of her bedroom, Francie must grow through challenges and hardships to discover the strength within herself as well. More
	Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Outspoken and witty, Anne is an 11-year-old orphan sent to Green Gables farm to work with Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert. Throughout the book, we follow Anne as she tries to navigate a new world away from the orphanage. Confident as she is, Anne does not hold back in her quest to find her identity and establish herself in the world. More
	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Before there was coming-of-age, there was Jane Eyre. A twisted and dark bildungsroman (the Victorian version of coming-of-age), where readers follow Jane’s life from a 10-year-old girl to a 20-year-old woman. Although this book is quite long, every page is worth the read as there are so many twists, turns, and deaths around every corner! More
	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Written by the talented Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice is one of Austen's most notable works, and for a good reason. With the main character being Elizabeth Bennet, the plot is dedicated to Elizabeth, and her four sisters, finding a suitable husband. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s romance is considered the standard for love stories in the literary world. However, this book is about so much more than the love between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. It is also about the love Elizabeth has for herself as well. More