The best coming-of-age books that take me back to my own adolescence

Book cover of The Wheel of Life Book cover of Portnoy's Complaint Book cover of A Separate Peace Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of Lord of the Flies

The best philosophical, laughter-through-tears-coming-of-age stories celebrating art, family, and art-families

Book cover of The Elegance of the Hedgehog Book cover of Of Human Bondage Book cover of The Great Believers Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of Where'd You Go, Bernadette

The best coming-of-age stories that simmer with emotion and are set in a fascinating time and place

Book cover of Home Again Book cover of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of To Kill a Mockingbird Book cover of Daisy Jones & The Six

The best books with bad boys we love or love to hate

Book cover of The Spark and the Drive Book cover of 13 Reasons Why Book cover of A Separate Peace Book cover of The Outsiders Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye

The best books to read after a mental breakdown

Book cover of The Perks of Being a Wallflower Book cover of A Long Way Down Book cover of The Bell Jar Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

The books that helped me to grow up

Book cover of Catch-22 Book cover of On the Road Book cover of The Ginger Man Book cover of Under the Net Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye

The best coming-of-age novels that tell fascinating stories anyone can relate to

Book cover of Waiting Book cover of The Awakening Book cover of Special Topics in Calamity Physics Book cover of Demian: The Story of a Youth Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye

The best books full of intimate self-revelations

Book cover of The Devil Wears Prada Book cover of Blankets Book cover of Dry: A Memoir Book cover of Arkansas Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye

The best coming-of-age novels in which it’s all about the voice

Book cover of To Kill a Mockingbird Book cover of Black Swan Green Book cover of Purple Hibiscus Book cover of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye

The best books on the truth and lies of ordinary lives

Book cover of The Empty Room Book cover of Hypothermia Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of Vertigo Book cover of Joe Cinque's Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law

The best “fun” books on living with or living with someone with a mental disorder

Book cover of The More You Ignore Me Book cover of The Answer to the Riddle Is Me: A Memoir of Amnesia Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of She's Come Undone Book cover of Running with Scissors: A Memoir

The best classic YA books that are coming-of-age gems

Book cover of Dreamland Lake Book cover of Space Station Seventh Grade Book cover of The Outsiders Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The best books for young readers set in old-school NYC

Book cover of Jenny and the Cat Club: A Collection of Favorite Stories about Jenny Linsky Book cover of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of Harriet the Spy Book cover of When You Reach Me

The best devastatingly sad books that make you laugh out loud

Book cover of Please Ignore Vera Dietz Book cover of Looking for Alaska Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Book cover of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The best coming of age novels with a cutting edge

Book cover of A Little Princess Book cover of Little Women Book cover of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Book cover of Siddhartha Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye

The best books about young people finding themselves without a phone

Book cover of The Psychology of Making Life Interesting Book cover of Anne of Green Gables Book cover of Emma Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of Into the Wild

The best books for a melancholy day

Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West Book cover of Black Tickets: Stories Book cover of Mickelsson's Ghosts Book cover of Trombone

The best cult novels for teenagers to pass around their friends

Book cover of The Body’s Rapture Book cover of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens Book cover of Rogue Male Book cover of World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye

The best historical bildungsroman (coming-of-age) novels

Book cover of The Outsiders Book cover of Orlando: A Biography Book cover of The Color Purple Book cover of The Catcher in the Rye Book cover of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

The best coming-of-age novels that feature loss

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New York State 605 books
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