Coming Of Age | Self-Publishing Review

On the Waterfront by Mike McCoy

A classic coming-of-age story, On the Waterfront by Mike McCoy recounts a pivotal summer in the life of a boy struggling to discover who he is in the world.

It’s 1972 and 13-year-old Danny Novak is hired by the Oregon Trail Council of the Boy Scouts of America to spend the summer working at Camp Baker. The youngest staff member, Danny, quickly realizes that the troubled home life he’s escaping may have been easier than trying to fit in and be accepted by his older teenage workmates, as he must contend with the brooding, intimidating Mark, a 16-year-old senior staff […]

SPR2022-11-17T14:55:53+02:00November 16th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Coming Of Age|

Review: A Rakista’s 90s Mixtapes by Danna Rose

Author Danna Rose delivers a spot-on dive into the struggle of teenage life in the Philippines with her first novel, A Rakista’s 90s Mixtapes. What begins as a youthful fling of garage band aspirations becomes the real deal, with real consequences, record deals, broken hearts, and a surprising number of dramatic twists.

Evie is like many other protagonists of heartfelt coming-of-age novels, but also incredibly unique, accurately referenced as an “odd boy.” The foundational loss of her father shapes her character in countless ways, most obviously her obsession with all things related to music. How that love and loss are […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-09-14T18:00:38+02:00August 5th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Coming Of Age, Music, Young Adult|

Review: Valley Fliers by David Boito

Mystery and amateur sleuthing take to the unconquered skies in Valley Fliers by David Boito, a new standout YA thriller with a spiraling, well-crafted plot. Mysteries abound in this acrobatic novel, replete with drone-toting hitmen and a conspiracy too rich not to be investigated by some would-be sleuths.

With dreams of attending a prestigious aeronautical school, Jay is on the cusp of adulthood, but his head has always been in the clouds, as he navigates model airplanes with expert precision. Turning a hobby into a career means a lot of practice at the local miniature airfield, where there are some […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-12-02T06:07:39+02:00October 22nd, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Coming Of Age, Young Adult|

Denham Hall by Bridgette Campbell

An intimate and articulate confession of youthful curiosity, Denham Hall by Bridgette Campbell is a delightful coming-of-age collection that will transport readers back in time, immersing them in a richly imagined world of self-discovery.

With a style best described as a mashup of journaling, podcasting, amateur investigating, and journalism, readers are gently pulled into the dramatic walls of Rickmansworth Young Ladies College, where egos, surnames, and snobbery rule the roost. For Bridgette Campbell, however, and her small circle of fiercely loyal friends, Denham Hall is a playground of imagination and exploration.

The language used by the author is pristine and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-09-10T07:16:41+02:00September 10th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Coming Of Age|

Review: Johnny Boy by John Califano

A compelling work of fiction bearing the authentic voice of a memoir, Johnny Boy by John Califano is a visceral slice of life from a skilled, but subtle pen.

Raised in a claustrophobic home in Brooklyn, young John Caruso must navigate the sullen anger of his father, the quiet struggles of his mother, and the occasional invisibility of being the youngest in the house. His older brother and sister, Frank and Connie, are his protectors and guides, helping him see past the narrow-mindedness and violent tendencies of his father, and explore his own potential as he grows up fast.

Over […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-16T09:44:12+02:00July 28th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Coming Of Age|

Review: Summer of Haint Blue by Jimmie Martinez

Author Jimmie Martinez captures the raw, beautiful, and painful truths of both the rural and urban South during the 1960s in his YA novel, Summer of Haint Blue. A long-form narrative study on race relations and a deep dive into that tumultuous decade, this novel is draped with Spanish moss and bayou personality, which help to top-dress the strong and compelling plot.

Told through the eyes of Justin Couvillion, a teenage boy coming to terms with his own family history and their Cajun roots, while also trying to understand the racism so embedded in Louisiana, even in his own […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-06-14T07:58:33+02:00June 13th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Coming Of Age, Jimmie Martinez, Young Adult|

Review: The Metric Clock by Phillip B. Chute

An expansive glimpse into the past reveals the perils, joys and eternal marks of childhood in The Metric Clock: The Adventures of Charles, Transforming a Precocious Boy into a Young Man by Phillip B. Chute. A classic coming-of-age story boasting plenty of original twists and evocative moments, this novel builds slowly, but delivers a powerful message with grace and subtlety.

An unexpected trip to Canada pulls young Charles into his own independence, as well as a deeper appreciation of family, legacy, and the distant figure he calls father. Wrestling with his own sense of self and manhood, while simultaneously discovering […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-12-22T08:17:23+02:00November 17th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Coming Of Age, Phillip B. Chute|

Prosper by Lindsay Schuster

Lindsay Schuster delivers a stirring coming-of-age novel with Prosper, the first in an ongoing series of standout YA writing.

Jenny, Stephanie, Amy and Kaila must navigate both the trials and trifles of high school, while also managing their own troubled lives, and more unexpected responsibilities than any 16-year-olds should bear. Highlighting the strength of sisterhood, overlapping emotional journeys and the critical importance of support systems in our lives, this is a novel not only about overcoming, but about becoming.

The variation in points of view provides a comprehensive perspective for readers, and intimate access to the experiences of each […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-10-21T02:07:10+02:00October 21st, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Coming Of Age, Young Adult|