Coming of age stories by Aleman and Berg

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN by Daniel Aleman (Indivisible) is a young adult novel which features a sixteen year-old main character, Maria de la Soledad (called Sol), who clearly struggles with age appropriate identity issues: “even when I try my hardest to be Sol [sun/happy], Soledad [solitude/lonely] has a way of winning ...” All of that is complicated by her status as an American citizen although the rest of her family (including two brothers) have Mexican citizenship and live in Tijuana. The text deals with themes of grief, responsibility, immigration, racism, familial ties and expectations. Sol crosses the border each day to go to school and eventually moves North to continue high school and live with friends while working part-time to support her family. I personally found the effort she made to be crushing and unfair. It reminded me of a cousin who, with little guidance, chose to work 40 hours a week during high school and is now a widow with four young children, perpetuating a life of limited opportunity, even though her siblings graduated college and enjoy six figure incomes. BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN highlights the tensions and pressures faced by students who do not have a strong safety net and adult support. Sol’s deceased Mami was correct when she stressed the importance of education and I do think that teachers would have been more aware and understanding, but they are mere shadows in this story. Sol perseveres, though – she is resilient despite the loneliness she faces. Fortunately, friends like Ari (plus her mother, Nancy) and co-worker Nick fill some of the gap and reinforce a sense of hope. The publisher provides an online book club guide with discussion questions for this emotional text.

In EARTH'S THE RIGHT PLACE FOR LOVE Elizabeth Berg offers a prequel to The Story of Arthur Truluv, sharing Arthur’s coming of age story as a teenager in 1947 Mason, Missouri. The story reflects Berg’s typically gentle, heartwarming writing style, but there is not much action. Arthur falls in love and deals with several family situations, particularly his relationship with his older brother, Frank. Praised by authors like Adriana Trigiani (Big Stone Gap), Rachel Joyce (Miss Benson’s Beetle), and Debbie Macomber, EARTH'S THE RIGHT PLACE FOR LOVE is sure to please loyal Berg readers who will enjoy this relatively short novel with its small town setting and homespun feel.

Sam by Allegra Goodman

SAM by Allegra Goodman is a coming of age story about a young girl who loves competitive climbing and this title should have wide appeal, evidenced in part by its selection as a Read with Jenna book (see more on Jenna Bush Hager’s influence). The story share events in Sam’s life for over a dozen years from the age of seven when she innocently adored her father, an unreliable parent who is in and out of Sam’s life. Her mother, Courtney, is forever preaching about hard work and importance of security. Goodman builds on these relationships (plus with Sam’s classmates and her brother, Noah) to introduce ideas about parenting, social class, addiction, and self-worth, all told in Sam’s gradually maturing voice. Goodman excels at evoking emotions as the story arcs from innocence to a rather bleak reflection of a sexually predatory relationship to an ultimately hopeful resolution fueled by Sam’s determination and perseverance. High school students and adults will relate to this character and those who care about her as Goodman quietly shares wisdom like “choose joy” or this interaction when Sam questions her Mom: “’How do you know what to do?’ ‘I don’t always know.’ ‘Yes, you do.’ ‘Yeah, that’s how you can tell you’re an adult,’ her mom says. ‘People start thinking you know what you are doing.’” 

Added this review in the Wall Street Journal by Meghan Cox Gurdon where she says, “Ms. Goodman has turned simplicity itself into a powerful tool for evoking how it feels to be young.”

Breathless by Jennifer Niven

BREATHLESS by Jennifer Niven (All the Bright Places) is a very personal story of an 18-year-old girl, Claudine (Claude) Henry learning to deal with some life challenges. She writes at the very beginning of this novel, “You were my first. Not just sex, although that was part of it, but the first to look past everything else into me. … I don’t want to forget what I went through, what I thought, what I felt, who I was. I don’t want to forget you. But most of all, I don’t want to forget me.” This coming of age novel reflects the teen’s self-absorption – after all, it begins about a week before her high school graduation in Ohio when she is already thinking about the transition to college and planning a celebratory road trip with her best friend. That is all up-ended when her father announces that he and her mom are separating. Claude ends up spending the summer on an island (no wi-fi) near Georgia with her Mom as they try to come to terms with the new family structure. There, Claude meets Jeremiah (Miah). He is a kid with a troubled past, but he helps her to cope and truly cares for her (similar to the rebellious daughter’s boyfriend in Netflix’s Away with Hilary Swank). Throughout, Niven deftly conveys Claude’s range of emotions (confusion, heartbreak, anger, caring) as she struggles (sabotaging and nurturing) in relationships with her best friend (Saz), with her parents, and with Miah.  BREATHLESS received a starred review from School Library Journal.

The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord

THE MAP FROM HERE TO THERE by Emery Lord is a young adult, coming of age novel. Although this new title could function as a stand-alone read, it is actually a sequel to The Start of Me and You.  Here, Paige Hancock is entering her senior year in high school and is struggling with college choices and her growing relationship with fellow senior, Max Watson. Lord does an excellent job of describing Paige’s vulnerability and of building empathy for her:

“But saying yes meant saying no to other things, didn’t it? A yes to Mythos [local theater internship] had meant a no to QuizBowl.  A yes to one college would mean a no to all the others.  A yes to film school felt like a no to Max, my family, my friends nearby.”

This is a sweet, gentle read which is likely to appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson; School Library Journal recommends THE MAP FROM HERE TO THERE for grades 7 and up.  Lord has written several other young adult novels and is a contributor to Don’t Call me Crazy, a collection of essays on mental health.