In my continuing exploration of What is New Adult?, I thought I’d bring to your attention a novel I read recently that I feel is quintessential New Adult; In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow

I received book #1 & book #2 of the In Too Deep Series in exchange for an honest review for On Solid Ground (Book #2), released this week.

Because I hate reading anything out of sequence, I had to read book #1, first. I am so happy I did.

I loved this book, but this isn’t a review or an endorsement. This post is an illustration.  If you are confused about what is New Adult, read In Too Deep. This book is New Adult to perfection.

Let’s go back to our definitions from a few months ago in What is New Adult?:

Characters experiencing; college, living away from home for the first time, a first serious relationship. Lot’s of first. 

In Too Deep explorers the relationship between Gracie and Noah. Gracie is a sophomore in college and Noah is her first serious boyfriend and her first intense relationship.  With Noah, Gracie experiences a lot of firsts. Unfortunately, most of those firsts, she ends up regretting.

Characters in the 19 – 25 age range who are trying their best to figure out life for themselves. 

Gracie’s is 20 years old when the novel begins and her first real relationship takes a dark and disturbing turn out of the blue and Gracie scrambles to figure out how to navigate the new dynamic in her relationship while continuing to profess to her friends, family and herself, that everything is still the same.

Characters who stumble through their early twenties trying to find their way in an adult word, but they don’t have the responsibilities that adults do. 

Gracie certainly stumbles through this novel. She spends so much time doubting and loosing her true self while trying to hold on to a man who isn’t what he claims to be.  She hopes he will return to the person she though he was if only she could love him enough. When we are young, we tend to let things play out for themselves because we feel like we have all the time in the world to figure it out.

Character’s lives are filled with internal, as well as external, conflict. The stakes are high, but happily ever after is not goal.  It is all about the main character growing and realizing that no matter what, life does go on.

Gracie’s internal search for self worth and peace pulls at your heart. Her external search for love and happiness gives you hope and makes you root for her every step of the way even when at times you are frustrated by her actions.

The stake hover around the life and death variety, along with abuse, self esteem and self preservation at the heart of things.  We don’t want Gracie to fall in love and live happily every after. We don’t need the fairy tale ending, we just want Gracie to be stronger, happier, and healthier then she was at the beginning of the novel.  Because the stakes are so high, we are happy with where she ends up as long as she has moved forward.

That is New Adult in a nutshell. 

What book exemplifies the New Adult category for you? 

Check out my review of On Solid Ground (In Too Deep #2) by Michelle Kemper Brownlow.