Young Adult Literature; Coming-of-Age; Adventure; Fantasy
Sabriel fits pretty neatly in the classic coming of age genre. Even though our protagonist is nearly done with her teenage years, her story is about her transition between a sheltered life at school in Ancelstierre to her new role as an adult in the Old Kingdom. It shares a lot of typical themes with other stories in young adult literature that focus on coming of age: responsibility, self-reliance, and moving from a protected life into a high-stakes situation.
There's certainly a whole lot of magic in this story—as well as supernatural creatures, daring adventures, and alternate worlds—so Sabriel's adventure should satisfy everyone who hangs out in the young adult fantasy section of the bookstore. It's also got a hint of magical realism, since its initial setting of Ancelstierre is primarily a non-magical place, but the magic kicks in so quickly that the book has a lot more in common with Harry Potter than with Life of Pi.