Did you enjoy Delia Owens’s novel Where the Crawdads Sing about a young woman growing up isolated in the marshes of coastal North Carolina in the 1960’s? If you’re interested in reading similar books, consider some of these available in the library or through interlibrary loan (ILL). These would all count for the Read Great Things Challenge 2020 in the coming-of-age novel category.
Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
Fifteen-year-old June must come to terms with the death of her beloved Uncle Finn, an artist, who dies from AIDS in 1980s New York. This is a strong character-driven and sentimental coming-of-age story.
Call number location: Main Campus, PS 3602 .R867 T45 2013
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
This book feature a strong sense of place, wilderness survival, and a young woman moving to and growing up in Alaska.
Call number location: Main Campus, PS 3558 .A4763 G74 2018
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
After two local drowning tragedies, fifteen-year-old Lena is parentless and friendless. This British psychological thriller is mysterious and atmospheric.
Call number location: Main Campus,
PR 6108 .A963 I58 2017
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Both novels offer a historical Southern setting and a trial that illuminates the closed-minded nature of the town’s residents. Both novels feature young female characters who come of age in challenging circumstances.
Call number location: Main and Orange County Campus, PS 3562 .E353 T6 [various years of publication]
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
This brutal and violent novel is a coming-of- age story about a teenage girl living in isolation off-grid with her survivalist, paranoid father in the Pacific Northwest. Be warned though– this is much darker and more intense.
This book can be requested through ILL.