High school settings are perfect, because they provide the *other* society of school, but the protagonist still has to deal with Mom and Dad. If you put a character in college, that leap's already been made.
BtVS S3 vs. S4.
Xander: Look who's got a bad case of Dark Prince envy. Dracula: Leave us. Xander: No, we're not going to "Leabbb you." And where'd you get that accent, Sesame Street? "One, Two, Three - three victims! Maw ha ha!"
'Lessons'
Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
DavidS - Apr 04, 2009 7:32:21 am PDT #8653 of 28431
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Amy - Apr 04, 2009 7:59:28 am PDT #8654 of 28431
Because books.
I actually loved S4 for a lot of reasons, but point taken.
Look at One Tree Hill. They took the characters from high school graduation, jumped forward four (five?) years, and put them all back in their hometown. It's like they're playing happy families, but still in that enclosed high school microcosm, and some of them are *still* dealing with parent issues. It works for their target market (and, um, idiots like me who sometimes watch it for the pretty fantasy factor).
DavidS - Apr 04, 2009 8:09:55 am PDT #8655 of 28431
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
I actually loved S4 for a lot of reasons, but point taken.
I think you're exactly right, though. I love S4 too, but the high school setting was especially resonant and generated stories in a way that the college setting didn't.
meara - Apr 04, 2009 10:21:12 am PDT #8656 of 28431
Er, let's see..>I just read one called "Sophomore Switch" where the characters were in college (they "switched" lives for ...what I *would've* assumed was part of junior year abroad if it weren't for the title of the book?)
If you want ones where the protagonist just...isn't in school, for whatever reason (on vacation, not the setting of the book, what have you), I've got plenty. But usually there's some assumption that the character would go to school at some point, or has been. And not that the parent isn't around at all--in many cases the parent is very there (ie, one I read recently "Beige" is about a kid (16? 17?) who is dumped on her aged punk rocker dad for the summer meeting him for the first time and figuring out who she is, sorta)
Sophia Brooks - Apr 04, 2009 10:33:36 am PDT #8657 of 28431
Cats to become a rabbit should gather immediately now here
I think the Traveling Pants girls are in the summer of their freshman year of college in the last book.
Sue - Apr 04, 2009 1:39:42 pm PDT #8658 of 28431
hip deep in pie
I saw this book at the bookstore today:
I am the Messenger - ZUSAK After capturing a bank robber, nineteen-year-old cab driver Ed Kennedy begins receiving mysterious messages that direct him to addresses where people need help, and he begins getting over his lifelong feeling of worthlessness.
Jesse - Apr 04, 2009 1:53:12 pm PDT #8659 of 28431
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
That was a great book.
Polter-Cow - Apr 04, 2009 3:29:52 pm PDT #8660 of 28431
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!
askye - Apr 04, 2009 3:58:10 pm PDT #8661 of 28431
Thrive to spite them
I've just finished two books, Kushiel's Dart and Kushiel's Chosen the first two in a series by Jacqueline Carey. Has anyone read these? They are fantasy-alternate history, although not really alternate history. It takes place in a fantasy version of France and the main character is Phadre, who is a courtesan and becomes a spy.
Kat - Apr 04, 2009 5:10:35 pm PDT #8662 of 28431
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo
Can y'all give me titles of young adult novels where the lead character is either just out of high school or in college proper?
Barb,
Megan McCafferty books. (Sloppy Firsts is the first in the trilogy....but in the second book they are in college). Paper Towns by John Green is graduation summer before college. I Love You Beth Cooper is also around graduation.