What are your favorite novels that are written with adults as the intended audience but feature children as the central characters? I’m fine with examples where there’s a central narrator who’s a child, but I’m mostly looking for groups of characters like in IT, for example. Books specifically marketed for adult readers, not YA, etc.
by Familiar_Swimmer_124
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*The Girl with All the Gifts*. It’s split about halfway between a child and adult POVs.
The Road by McCarthy. Focused on a father and a son
The Cove: Ron Rash
The Book Thief
The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. She can do no wrong in my eyes.
Room by Emma Donoghue
Stephen King has a bunch, but I would recommend The Institute.
JR by William Gaddis
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. YEAH I KNOW HE’S HOMOPHOBIC THE BOOK IS STILL GOOD.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman is great. A little spooky, and definitely for adults.
His dark materials trilogy. I think people assume this was made for a YA audience but the author himself said that was never his intention. If you really think about the themes it’s pretty obviously made for adults. I loved those books. The TV show doesn’t really get to the meat of it
I really enjoyed The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li
The Flavia de Luce mysteries, by Alan Bradley. Definitely grown-up writing, twelve-year-old protagonist.