Battling on the Cusp of Adulthood: 5 Coming of Age Crime Fiction
In these thrilling coming-of-age novels, these teens are forced to grow up too quickly as they deal with deaths and crimes propelling them into the cold reality of adulthood. From committing crimes to solving them, these YA thrillers show characters who are forced to reflect on themselves and the structures that have shaped them.
Addy Hanlon and Beth Cassidy have always been best friends with Beth calling the shots and Addy carrying them out. Now, seniors who rule their intensely competitive high school cheer squad are feared and followed by the other girls until a young, new coach arrives. Coach Colette French draws Addy and the other cheerleaders into her life, and only Beth remains outside the Coach’s golden circle, unsettled by the new regime. But a suicide forces a police investigation on the Coach and squad. Addy tries to uncover the truth behind the death in this dark, beautifully written story that will ring in fans of Lord of the Flies if it were cast with a cheerleading squad.
Told over the course of a single day, this electrifying graphic novel starts off in the quiet city of Huntsville, Texas. Jack “Meadowlark” Johnson and his teenage son, Cooper, embark on a journey as a consequence of Jack’s mistakes and the danger they’ve brought home. Together, they navigate threats of violence and must grapple with their own dysfunctional, but loving relationship. Combining ancient myths in this contemporary crime noir, this coming-of-age tale shows the shattering transition into manhood and will appeal to fans of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men and Terrence Malick’s Badlands.
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Emily Hoang is a writer and editor, who is obsessed with haunted houses, ghosts, and dreams. More info can be found on her website.