If
the character is in school, it’s college. They could be living on campus or
still living at home and commuting. If they live on campus, this may
be their first time having to do laundry and light housekeeping. Most likely,
they are in debt with student loans, so your character is broke, unless they
are a trust fund baby or their parents are wealthy.
For
some, it’s a level of independence and responsibility that is foreign to them.
New adult books are about new experiences and freedom. They can decide to join a fraternity, blow
off classes or ignore schoolwork. No one is going to call their parents or ask
for an absence note. Maybe they’re introduced to hard drugs for the first time.
The main character could have their first love or maybe it’s their second
serious relationship.
If
the main character is not in college or trade school, they may have their first
full time job or working the gig economy and probably still living at home or
have several roommates.
The
issues are more adult like, more drinking, more drug abuse, more sex and more discussing
sex. The years spent in college are a time of exploration, they have
responsibilities, but are not completely liberated. They have one foot in adolescence
and one foot in adulting. It’s an exciting time for self-discovery; they feel
like an adult without a lot of the complications.
Adult
books have adult protagonist that deal with serious life issues
(marriage, divorce, domestic violence, child rearing, bankruptcies, crime,
prison, serious drug addiction, extramarital affairs, etc.) and more explicit
sex. The adult protagonist is more confident in who they are.
Depending
on the genre, the books may end with the answer: the protagonist solved the
crime or mystery, or the protagonist made a life changing decision, or the ending
expounds on the book’s theme or conflicts.
Bonus link for more explanations and examples: http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/12/28/what-is-new-adult/
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