Young Adult Literature; Coming-of-Age; Family Drama
Young Adult Literature
You've got a teenage protagonist who feels alone and awkward, who can't get along with at least one parent (for good reason, in our opinion), and who narrates to you like you're her inner bestie. That, dear Shmooper, is classic young adult literature. The only thing the novel lacks is the other hallmark of YA lit—achy, breaky teen romances as a central plotline. But that's okay—your hormones can wait another day while your head gets filled with all the other real-life dramas going on in the book.
Coming-of-Age
Obstacles, obstacles, obstacles—that's what a coming-of-age story has: a ton of obstacles. What else? A kid who literally grows up before our very eyes. How? You guessed it—by overcoming all those obstacles. Which brings us to A Step From Heaven a.k.a. your classic coming-of-age novel. Young Ju goes from demure little girl to super-smart, self-sufficient, responsible, and brave grrrl—all while overcoming the fact that English isn't her native language, America isn't her native country, her father's a total menace who's all about booze and beatings, and her family's poor to boot. That's a lot to deal with, but Young Ju does it and gets into college.
Family Drama
An abusive, alcoholic, philandering husband and father terrorizes his family so much that our young protagonist has to call the cops on him. If that doesn't scream family drama, then we don't know what does. But that's not all—you've got a mom who isn't willing to give up her abusive relationship, a younger brother who looks like he's on the road to dropping out of high school, and Young Ju, our protagonist who can't tell even her BFF where she lives or what her family is like for fear that her BFF just won't understand. This novel makes Thanksgiving with the family look like a walk in the park.