The Book Stacks

I hate the expression, ‘coming of age’. It makes it sound like there is a definitive moment or experience when we switch from adolescent to adult. And I don’t think that is true. And I don’t think it should be confused with rite-of-passage ceremonies practiced by various societies, those are external ritualistic markers, not internal transformations.

First Night is not a coming-of-age novel.

Yes I know; you can make the case that Alex is changed by her experience, in the classic coming-of-age style. But has she become an adult by the end of the book? I think not! She’s merely taken one more step. I’m still taking those steps, still learning from my experiences; it’s not an age thing. And sometimes the lesson learned is not fully understood until many years later.

So what makes First Night a candidate for the Young Adult category? On the surface it meets the criteria: Adolescent protagonist? Check! Adolescent story line? Check! Adolescent themes (whatever that may mean)? Check! But are these just classifications, like the Dewey Decimal System, to make the marketing crew happy? When I wrote First Night, I gave no thought to its classification; that only came when the publishers insisted that I check a box. I think I have a story that can be enjoyed by all age groups, from 9 to 90. So the YAdult thing doesn’t apply.

Except . . .

In an interview, I was asked, “If you were a character from a novel, who would it be?” I recalled that as a child, based on a love of mystery and discovery, I wanted to be Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island. And the key word here is discovery. If I was to define the Young-Adult period other than by age, it would be the time when discovery becomes entwined with responsibility. A child delights in discovery for its own sake. And an adult’s enjoyment is tempered with misgivings and cynicism.

I think that my writing fits this definition of Young Adult. And, unlike the publishers’ classifications, it is quite intentional on my part. Yes, the characters are of a certain age, but that is not as important as that they are of a certain mind-set: ready to engage in adventure, but also aware that their actions have consequences. My choice of fiction allows me to set aside the grown-up for a while and also go adventuring. I’ve handed my characters a treasure map. They are on a voyage of discovery. And so am I.