It seems as though I have unwittingly uncovered a subject too long left not discussed, that of Christian authors who do not fit into the mold of the CBA or the ECPA. Lately the blog has ranged from vampire chick-lit for teenagers to furry tales to, now, a coming-of-age story written by a Christian professor at Texas Christian University. If you know anything about coming-of-age stories in the secular world, they are generally written in such a way that, sooner or later, the character ends up in bed with someone. But, what has made some of the tales that I have mentioned previously so interesting is precisely that their teen characters do not have this type of experience. By whomever written, the stories previously mentioned have in common that their characters are learning what it means to be a mature person without automatically becoming sexually involved. What does it mean to make ethical decisions? What does it mean to look inside yourself and see that how shallow you have been all too often? What does it mean to battle the typical teenage girl depression and even battle suicidal tendencies? What does it mean to take responsibility for your life as a member of the adult community? Believe it or not, these are some of the themes found in the Twilight series, for instance. And these have been addressed from a general Christian worldview.
There is one exception, but it is a worthy one. Some of the furry tales of Ken Pick involve a teenage character who had been regularly sexually abused. She is having to learn what it means to be an adult when your innocence has been violently stripped from you. What does it mean to overcome that and to learn to be an adult? Those tales are actually of a level that may mean that they should only be read by someone post-high school. Yet, behind those tales there is a clear Christian mindset rather than a secular one.
Below is the cover of the first book in a coming-of-age series by a Christian professor. He, also, has chosen not to publish through CBA or ECPA so that his characters do not have to follow a formulaic story line. If you click on the cover picture, it will take you to his page, from where you can see a description and order if it interests you.
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